National Heroes Day

Overview: What is a National Hero?

A national hero is a person who is admired and acknowledged for their courage, outstanding achievements, and noble qualities; and is someone who has made significant positive contributions to the growth and development of society. To know our heroes is to know ourselves: our values, our collective history, who we are, and what makes us as Bermudians great. Recognizing our heroes provides us with an important opportunity to celebrate our collective history, our heritage, our values as a society, and our culture.

Celebration

The National Heroes Day holiday is observed each year on the third Monday in June. The purpose is to honour those persons who have been officially designated as national heroes in Bermuda. The national hero designation is a lifetime honour that is bestowed, and once a person is named as a national hero, he or she will be a national hero forever.

Desired Outcome

  • A community that is proud of contributions made by individuals or groups;
  • A community with an increased level of awareness about Bermuda’s history, heritage and culture; and
  • A community with an increased sense of national unity and social cohesion.

Criteria for the selection of Bermuda’s National Heroes:

The individual or group to be designated as a National Hero should meet most of the following criteria:

  •   has made a significant and lasting contribution to Bermuda
  •   has enriched the lives of others
  •   has a legacy that will stand the test of time and have continued relevance in the future
  •   has contributed to the quality of life and destiny of Bermuda
  •   be considered as outstanding in their area of service
  •   has ready name recognition among the general population
  •   is recognized by his/her profession or organization
  •   is reflective of Bermuda’s cultural heritage and diversity

Attributes of Individuals/Groups Selected:

It is important that the individual or group designated as a national hero is of outstanding character and may possess some or all of the following characteristics:

  •   dedicated
  •   ethical
  •   committed
  •   self-sacrificing
  •   conscientious
  •   agent of change or betterment
  •   risk-taker
  •   demonstrates consistency and passion
  •   demonstrates love of Bermuda and her people
  •   demonstrates leadership qualities

Additional Guidelines on the Nomination Process

The Department of Culture will recognise the heroes annually through public education on their contributions, lectures, and the Premier’s Concert: Celebrating Our National Heroes event in June.

The public will be informed via official channels regarding the timeframes for nominating a national hero and will be supplied with information on how to access a nomination form.

To retain the distinct and extraordinary character of this award, the nomination process for new national heroes will open to the public once every ten years, with the next cycle beginning late in 2024 for a possible announcement in 2025.