Next: 1 Jan 2027
Haitian Independence Day
Haitians eat soup joumou, the squash soup once kept from the enslaved, to mark freedom won in 1804.
What is eaten for Haitian Independence Day
On the first of January Haitians at home and abroad eat soup joumou. It is a rich soup of winter squash, beef, pasta and vegetables. Under French rule the enslaved people who cooked it were not allowed to eat it. When Haiti declared independence on 1 January 1804, the soup became the dish of freedom, and it has been served every New Year morning since. Pots are made large so that neighbours and visitors can be given a bowl.
The dishes
Also part of it, and being written: Kremas (Sweet coconut and rum drink poured over the holidays.).
Written by the Thali desk with AI assistance. Background: "Independence Day (Haiti)" on Wikipedia. Customs differ from family to family and place to place. If this is your tradition and we have it wrong, tell us.
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Griot: Lëa-Kim Châteauneuf, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Pikliz: LittleT889, CC BY-SA 4.0, source