20 désanm (20th December)
Public holiday on Reunion island
1983-2023

A booklet created by the historian Gilles GAUVIN.

Since it was first celebrated in 2018, ‘Gran 20 Désanm’ (20th December celebrations), organised by the Departmental Council of Reunion on the site of the Villèle museum, notably aims to ensure wide dissemination using a range of supports, informing the public of the history of slavery on Reunion, its abolition, the traces it has left and also the celebration of the end of this dark period of our history.

The booklet is a contribution to this process. It was published to mark the 40th anniversary of the law of 30th June 1983, which led to the date of the announcement of abolition on Reunion Island becoming a public holiday.

The analyses made by the historian Gilles Gauvin throw light on these four decades that have seen the 20th December celebrations progressively and calmly becoming a part of the official calendar on the island, from both the cultural and memory point of view.

Consult the booklet