1 July
Keti Koti: 1 July, the day the chains were broken
Keti Koti falls on 1 July each year and marks the abolition of slavery in Suriname on 1 July 1863. It is a national public holiday; the name means "chains broken" in Sranan Tongo.
On 1 July 1863 slavery was formally abolished in Suriname. Around 33,000 people were declared free but were then obliged to keep working on the plantations under state supervision for another ten years. That period only ended in 1873, which is why many Surinamese people call 1873 the real liberation.
The day is marked with parades, music, and the wearing of the koto and angisa, the traditional Afro-Surinamese dress and headscarf, where the way the angisa is folded carries its own meaning.
Heri heri is eaten: boiled plantain, cassava and sweet potato with salt cod and egg. That is not incidental but a deliberate act of remembering what was eaten on the plantations.
Frequently asked questions
When is Keti Koti?
Keti Koti falls on 1 July every year. It is a national public holiday in Suriname and is also widely commemorated in the Netherlands.
What does Keti Koti mean?
Keti Koti means literally "chains broken" in Sranan Tongo. The day commemorates the abolition of slavery in Suriname on 1 July 1863.
What do people eat on Keti Koti?
Heri heri: boiled plantain, cassava and sweet potato with bakkeljauw (salt cod) and a hard-boiled egg. It is the dish enslaved people ate, and it belongs inseparably to 1 July.