Bermuda Day is a public holiday

Public holiday

A public holiday, national holiday or legal holiday is a holiday generally established by law and is usually a non-working day during the year....

 in the islands of Bermuda

Bermuda

Bermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. It is about south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and northeast of Miami, Florida...

. Like certain other public holidays, it is always celebrated on May 24, or the weekday

Weekday

Weekday may either refer to only a day of the week which is part of the workweek thus not part of the weekend or to any of the days of the week.-Weekday as a day of the workweek:In most countries the days of the workweek are:# Monday# Tuesday# Wednesday...

 nearest May 24 if that date falls on the weekend

Workweek

The workweek and weekend are those complementary parts of the week devoted to labour and rest respectively. The legal working week , or workweek , is the part of the seven-day week devoted to labor. In most Western countries it is Monday to Friday. The weekend comprises the two traditionally...

.

Bermuda Day is traditionally the first day that local residents will go into the sea

Sea

A sea generally refers to a large body of salt water, but the term is used in other contexts as well. Most commonly, it means a large expanse of saline water connected with an ocean, and is commonly used as a synonym for ocean...

. It is also traditionally the first day on which Bermuda shorts

Shorts

Shorts are a bifurcated garment worn by both men and women over their pelvic area, circling the waist, and covering the upper part of the legs, sometimes extending down to or even below the knee, but not covering the entire length of the leg. They are called "shorts" because they are a shortened...

 are worn as business attire (although in recent years, Bermuda shorts

Bermuda shorts

Bermuda Shorts, also known as walking shorts or dress shorts, are a particular type of short trousers, now widely worn as semi-casual attire by both men and women...

 are increasingly worn at any time of the year). Many people also see Bermuda Day as the first day on which they can go out on the water after the winter—consequently there is always a rush to get one's boat 'in the water' just before May 24.

To celebrate the holiday, there is a parade

Parade

A parade is a procession of people, usually organized along a street, often in costume, and often accompanied by marching bands, floats or sometimes large balloons. Parades are held for a wide range of reasons, but are usually celebrations of some kind...

 in Hamilton

Hamilton, Bermuda

Hamilton is the capital of the British Overseas Territory of Bermuda. It is the territory's financial centre and a major port and tourist destination.-Geography:...

, and a road race from the west end of the island into Hamilton. These events are very popular as spectator events, and residents are known to stake out particular sections of the pavements to enable them to watch the runners

Running

Running is a means of terrestrial locomotion allowing humans and other animals to move rapidly on foot. It is simply defined in athletics terms as a gait in which at regular points during the running cycle both feet are off the ground...

 and the floats

Floats

Floats are a beverage line introduced by the Dr Pepper Snapple Group in January 2008. Two flavors are available, A&W Float and Sunkist Float. The purpose of the concept is to mimic the flavor of an ice cream float of a given soda...

. Ways of marking out your family's section can include roping it off (frowned on as people have been hurt walking into such ropes the night before), marking it off with tape with your name on it, or sleeping there overnight.