The Eighth was a federal holiday in the United States from 1828 until 1861 commemorating the U.S. victory in the Battle of New Orleans on January 8, 1815.
The Eighth was celebrated widely across the Southern United States after the War of 1812. January 8 became an official federal holiday in 1828, following Andrew Jackson's election as president and continued as such from that time until the start of the Civil War. The holiday remains largely forgotten by the American public.[1]
According to The Bryan (Ohio) Times article from January 4, 2005, the Battle of New Orleans was a "major turning point" in American history, but many people who live in New Orleans did not even know that the battle happened in their city. As it was the final war waged against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, some consider it to be America's second independence.[2] Historians recall the celebrations were larger than Christmas and were only surpassed by The Fourth.[3]
^National Park Service. Northeast Regional Office, ed. (2013). The War of 1812: Official National Park Service Handbook. Fort Washington, PA: Eastern National. p. 147.
(federal) = federal holidays, (abbreviation) = state/territorial holidays, (religious) = religious holidays, (cultural) = holiday related to a specific racial/ethnic group or sexual minority, (week) = week-long holidays, (month) = month-long holidays, (36) = Title 36 Observances and Ceremonies
