African Burial Ground National Monument Celebrates Pinkster Today

Originally a Dutch festival, Pinkster is a celebration of the coming of spring and a time of rest to be enjoyed among friends and family. To the Dutch, Pinkster originated as a religious holiday derived from the Christian feast of Pentecost as well as an observation of the change in seasons and spring renewal. Dutch colonists brought this celebration to settlements in the New York area during the 17th century; however, this holiday evolved over the subsequent decades into a primarily African American holiday infused with the African Bantu culture of Congo and Angola. The holiday became a chance for Northern enslaved and freed families to reunite and experience a brief sense of independence as well as share and pass on important African traditions, especially to those born in North America.

The African Burial Ground National Monument, in partnership with the African American Pinkster Committee of New York (AAPCNY) annually celebrates and invites the general public to a commemorative celebration featuring the pouring of libations, lectures, songs, performances, reading of proclamations, and the laying of flowers on the burial mounds.

Celebrate New York's vibrant African American history and culture at one of New York City's most sacred sites, the African Burial Ground National Monument Memorial.

This year's celebration will be held today, May 21st, 2016 beginning at 12PM Noon. For more information, call (212) 637-2019, visit www.nps.gov/afbg.

Pictured: Pink Azaleas are the official flower of Pinkster. Photo by Lorrie Morrison.