Discovery Day

On the third Monday of every May, the people of Cayman Islands celebrate the discovery of their islands by Christopher Columbus in 1503. In 2027, Discovery Day falls on Monday 17 May. The holiday will be on Monday 15 May in 2028. For the most part, the Cayman Islands were uninhabited upon discovery and for many years thereafter. However, pirates, people suffering shipwreck in the Caribbean, refugees, and a small number of settlers did gradually inhabit the islands or visit them. By 1670, British control over Cayman Islands was established, and more organised and sustained colonisation commenced. Until 1962, Cayman Islands was part of the British colony of Jamaica, but when Jamaica became independent that year, Cayman Islands’ people decided to stay a British dependency instead. The islands have a lot of self-rule on local matters, but they are still a colony. On Discovery Day, Cayman Islands’ people remember their history and culture that is now over 500 years old.