Pinkster Celebrated at African Burial Ground National Monument, 6/14

Pinkster was a religious holiday celebrated throughout the Colonial period that was also associated with the coming of spring. Its name is derived from the Dutch word "Pinksteren" which means Pentecost or the Seventh Sunday after Easter.

Pinkster was not well observed for most of the 20th Century, but since resuming Pinkster celebrations in the 1970s, New Yorkers have held Pinkster festivals in New York and the surrounding areas.

Today, Pinkster is recognized as the oldest African-American holiday of the original 13 colonies that became the United States of America. The African influence on Pinkster dates from the 15th Century in the Bantu regions of Congo and Angola.

African Burial Ground National Monument and the African American Pinkster Committee of New York (AAPCNY) will hold a commemorative celebration from 2 to 4 p.m. on Saturday, June 14, 2014. The celebration, which will take place at the site's outdoor memorial, will feature the pouring of libations, lectures, songs, performances, reading of proclamations, and the laying of flowers on the burial mounds.

Additionally, artist Andrew Markus Bell will display his work in the visitor center.

Plan Your Visit

The Pinkster celebration will take place at the African Burial Ground National Monument, located on the first floor of 290 Broadway in Lower Manhattan, just north of City Hall. African Burial Ground National Monument visitor center is open Tuesday through Saturday, 10 am to 4 pm. The memorial is open Monday through Saturday, 9 am to 5 pm. The visitor center and memorial are closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.

For more information:

Telephone: (212) 637-2019

Website: www.nps.gov/afbg

www.twitter.com/AFBurialGrndNPS

www.facebook.com/AfricanBurialGround