Peat Cutting Day
Monday, October 5, 2026
On the first Monday of every October, it’s “Peat Cutting Day” in Falkland Islands. Because this public holiday always falls on a Monday, it is sometimes referred to as “Peat Cutting Monday”. In 2026, Peat Cutting Day falls on Monday 5 October. The holiday will be on Monday 4 October in 2027. Traditionally, Peat Cutting Day was the time of year when the people of Falkland Islands went out to slice off cubes, or other shapes, of surface-soil peat using special cutting tools. This “peat” is abundant in Falkland Islands and consists of accumulated sphagnum moss and other organic materials. It was long used as the primary fuel for heating homes and cooking food on the islands. Today, peat is not used as much for heating and cooking, and most people don’t even cut peat on Peat Cutting Day. Instead, it is a time to get outside and enjoy the spring weather. Thus, Peat Cutting Day is something of a vestige of a past time now almost gone, but the people of the islands have “re-purposed” the holiday and continue to celebrate it.
History
On the first Monday of every October, it’s “Peat Cutting Day” in Falkland Islands. Traditionally, Peat Cutting Day was the time of year when the people of Falkland Islands went out to slice off cubes, or other shapes, of surface-soil peat using special cutting tools
How It's Celebrated
Because this public holiday always falls on a Monday, it is sometimes referred to as “Peat Cutting Monday”. The holiday will be on Monday 4 October in 2027. Traditionally, Peat Cutting Day was the time of year when the people of Falkland Islands went out to slice off cubes, or other shapes, of surfa