The Federation of St Kitts and Nevis is celebrating its 38th Independence Anniversary today with the theme of "Adapt, Diversify, Recreate: Independence 38." Commemorating the country's independence from the United Kingdom almost four decades ago today is set to encompass streets filled with a carnival atmosphere with music, calypso shows, and parades of dancers in colourful costumes.
However, due to COVID-19 protocols, some of this year's independence events will not be held, while others will be scaled back to limit health risks for citizens. It marks the dual-islands gaining independence, the nation inaugurated the world's best and longest-standing Citizenship by Investment (CBI) programme in 1984.
The programme allows vetted foreigners to attain citizenship after they make a monetary contribution to the nation's economy. One of the Leeward Islands in the Lesser Antilles, it is situated about 2,100 km (1,300 mi) southeast of Miami, Florida, in the USA.
Independence Day is a public holiday in Saint Kitts and Nevis (SK&N) and is observed on September 19 - taking place a few days after National Heroes' Day and, depending on which days of the week these holidays fall on, either holiday may be extended.
The first British colony in the Caribbean, earning it the title of "The Mother Colony of the West Indies", in 1871, Saint Kitts, Nevis and nearby Anguilla were united as a British dependency before becoming Saint Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla, an internally self-governing member of the West Indies Associated States in 1967. Anguilla was then placed under direct rule, before leaving the union with Saint Kitts and Nevis in 1980 and, on 19 September 1983, Saint Kitts and Nevis attained independence within the British Commonwealth with Kennedy Simmonds as prime minister.
Independence Day celebrations begins with the streets filled with a Carnival atmosphere with music, calypso shows, and parades of dancers in colourful costumes, with the National Day of Saint Kitts and Nevis commemorating independence from the United Kingdom on 19 September 1983.
