Peat Cutting Monday or Peat Cutting Day is a

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. Sovereign nations and territories observe holidays based on events of significance to their history, ...

in the

Falkland Islands The Falkland Islands (; es, Islas Malvinas, link=no ) is an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean on the Patagonian Shelf. The principal islands are about east of South America's southern Patagonian coast and about from Cape Dubouzet ...

that is celebrated on the first Monday in October every year. Traditionally, Peat Cutting Day was the time of year when

Falkland Islanders Falkland Islanders, also called FalklandersChater, Tony. ''The Falklands''. St. Albans: The Penna Press, 1996. p. 137. and nicknamed Kelpers, are the people of the British Overseas Territory of the Falkland Islands. Identity The Islande ...

went out to cut cubes of surface-soil

peat Peat (), also known as turf (), is an accumulation of partially decayed vegetation or organic matter. It is unique to natural areas called peatlands, bogs, mires, moors, or muskegs. The peatland ecosystem covers and is the most efficien ...

which was then used as the primary fuel for heating homes and cooking food in the islands. In 2002, the

Executive Council of the Falkland Islands The Executive Council of the Falkland Islands is the policy making body of the Government of the Falkland Islands, Government of the Falkland Islands, exercising executive power by advising the Governor of the Falkland Islands, Governor. It has an ...

made it an official

to be celebrated on the first Monday in October every year, replacing

Falklands Day Falklands Day is the celebration of the first sighting of the Falkland Islands by John Davis (English explorer), John Davis in 1592, and is celebrated on 14 August. It was once seen as the national day of the Falklands, but has largely been re ...

, which had been celebrated in August. Little peat cutting takes place in modern times, with the Islanders instead using the day to go fishing and camping.

References

Annual events in the Falkland Islands October observances Falkland Islands culture Peat mining {{falklands-stub