Observance guideSource-backed

V.C. Bird Day / National Heroes Day2026 · Date · History

The Government of Antigua and Barbuda lists V.C. Bird Day on 9 December; its Government Information Service also identifies 9 December as V.C. Bird Day/National Heroes Day.

Annual dateReviewed 2026-09-09Sensitive topic

About V.C. Bird Day / National Heroes Day

December 9 is an official public holiday in Antigua and Barbuda associated with National Heroes Day and V.C. Bird Day.

The 2005 Public Holidays (Amendment) Act names the date National Heroes Day, while current government reference pages also use V.C. Bird Day and the combined label V.C. Bird Day/National Heroes Day.

Why V.C. Bird Day / National Heroes Day matters

The date is closely associated with Vere Cornwall Bird Sr., whose birthday was December 9 and whose political career included becoming Antigua and Barbuda’s first prime minister at independence.

Because current official materials use more than one label, descriptions should present the legal and administrative wording rather than claim that one name has completely replaced the other.

History of V.C. Bird Day / National Heroes Day

The Public Holidays (Amendment) Act 2005 received assent on September 13, 2005 and replaced the holiday schedule.

That statutory schedule lists National Heroes Day on December 9.

The Government of Antigua and Barbuda’s current national-holidays page lists V.C. Bird Day on December 9 while stating that official public holidays are regulated by the 2005 Act.

The Government Information Service uses the combined label V.C. Bird Day/National Heroes Day and identifies December 9 as V.C. Bird Sr.’s birthday.

Origins & establishment

What the evidence establishes

Evidence & sources ↓

Confirmed institutional roles and milestones are shown first. Details that could not be established from the reviewed sources are listed separately below.

Proclaiming / establishing bodyParliament of Antigua and BarbudaThe Public Holidays (Amendment) Act 2005 states that it was enacted by the Parliament of Antigua and Barbuda.

Original establishing instrument / decisionPublic Holidays (Amendment) Act 2005, No. 8 of 2005The Act repealed and replaced the holiday schedule and lists National Heroes Day on December 9.

Original instrument adoption / decision date13 September 2005The official Act records Governor-General assent on 13 September 2005; publication followed on 15 September 2005.

Why this exact date?December 9 is the birthday of Vere Cornwall Bird Sr., and current government material associates the holiday with his commemoration.The Government Information Service identifies V.C. Bird’s birth date as 9 December 1910 and uses V.C. Bird Day/National Heroes Day for December 9.

5 fields not established in reviewed sources

Originator / proposerThe reviewed sources do not identify a single proposer of the 2005 holiday amendment.

Current facilitator / coordinatorThe holiday is a national public holiday, but the reviewed sources do not identify one exclusive facilitator.

First observanceThe reviewed sources do not identify the first actual observance under the 2005 schedule.

Former nameCurrent official sources use both National Heroes Day and V.C. Bird Day; a formal former-name sequence is therefore not asserted.

Former dateNo former recurring holiday date is established.

Source qualityHigh confidence

3 Primary institutional / legal

View all sources ↓

Names

Also known as

V.C. Bird Day

How to Observe V.C. Bird Day / National Heroes Day

Use December 9 as the fixed official public-holiday date.

When discussing the name, note that the 2005 law says National Heroes Day while current government pages also use V.C. Bird Day.

Do not claim a precise rename from one title to the other unless a primary source explicitly documents that transition.

Keep V.C. Bird’s biography separate from the statutory history of the public holiday.

V.C. Bird Day / National Heroes Day Facts

Fact 01

The Public Holidays (Amendment) Act 2005 lists National Heroes Day on December 9.

Fact 02

The Act received assent on September 13, 2005 and was published in the Official Gazette on September 15, 2005.

Fact 03

Current Antigua and Barbuda government pages also use V.C. Bird Day for December 9.

Fact 04

The Government Information Service combines the labels V.C. Bird Day and National Heroes Day.

Fact 05

December 9 is the birthday of Vere Cornwall Bird Sr., according to the Government Information Service.

Classification

Topic and context

Civic, Remembrance & History →

Civic, Remembrance & History Remembrance Animals Pets

Accuracy notes

What this page does not assume

Keep the source-defined country, community, organizer or institutional scope; do not silently broaden it.
Do not treat the title alone as proof of government recognition or public-holiday status.
Do not add a creator, founding story or origin claim unless the supporting evidence establishes it.
Remembrance Civic Context Care.

Evidence

Evidence & sources

Source policy →

Sources used across the guide are gathered here. Labels show how each source supports the page, and contextual references are kept separate from primary evidence.

Source 01gis.gov.ag

Antigua and Barbuda Government Information Service — National Symbols and Holidays (opens in a new tab)

Observance recordPrimary institutional / legalGuide sources

Government Reference

Source 02www.ab.gov.ag

Government of Antigua and Barbuda — National Holidays (opens in a new tab)

Observance recordPrimary institutional / legalGuide sources

Government Holiday Calendar

Source 03laws.gov.ag

Laws of Antigua and Barbuda (opens in a new tab)

Primary institutional / legalGuide sources

Questions & connections

Understand it, compare it, then explore further

Start with the most common factual questions, then compare closely related observances and explore useful connections.

Reader questions

Frequently asked questions

When is V.C. Bird Day / National Heroes Day?

9 December The documented recurrence rule is: 9 December.

Does V.C. Bird Day / National Heroes Day fall on the same date every year?

Yes. It uses a fixed annual date unless stronger evidence changes the pattern.

Is V.C. Bird Day / National Heroes Day an official public holiday?

The reviewed sources verify it within this scope: Antigua and Barbuda / national holiday calendar. That recognition does not by itself make it a statutory public holiday; the site only makes public-holiday claims when reliable evidence explicitly does so.

Who established or recognizes V.C. Bird Day / National Heroes Day?

The reviewed sources identify Parliament of Antigua and Barbuda as the proclaiming or establishing body.

Is V.C. Bird Day / National Heroes Day international or country-specific?

This observance is specific to Antigua And Barbuda. Its fuller verified scope is: Antigua and Barbuda / national holiday calendar.

How is this page verified?

The factual information is checked against reviewed sources, including the date pattern, scope and institutional history. This page was checked on 2026-09-09.

When is V.C. Bird Day / National Heroes Day?

The official public-holiday date is December 9.

What does the 2005 law call the holiday?

The Public Holidays (Amendment) Act 2005 lists December 9 as National Heroes Day.

Why do some official pages call it V.C. Bird Day?

Current government reference pages still use V.C. Bird Day, and the Government Information Service also uses the combined label V.C. Bird Day/National Heroes Day. Current official material does not establish a single clean rename chronology.

Same date