Today is Juneteenth, and although it’s been something that black have celebrated, more and more people have acknowledged it as the years gone by. Now, it officially has the recognition it deserves and is considered a federal holiday.

If you’re still unaware of what Juneteenth is about, it’s the celebration of when all of the slaves were free in the United States. Of course, it’s even deeper and there’s a much more in-depth explanation than that, but this is just the short version. If you’d like to learn more about Juneteenth, please do your research to understand the importance of the holiday.

With that said, today’s a day of celebration, and there are so many ways to help celebrate the day. If you’re looking for ways to celebrate Juneteenth, keep reading for the eight ways I’ve provided that you can do so!

1. Shop from black-owned businesses.

One of the best ways to celebrate Juneteenth is to do some shopping by giving your money to a black-owned business! There are so many amazing black-owned businesses out there, big or small, and a lot of them typically have sales going on for the holiday. Whether there’s a sale or not, you can never go wrong by giving supporting and buying cute items!

2. Have a gathering with your friends and family

Having a get-together with your loved ones is always a fun thing to do, and there’s nothing like barbequing on a beautiful day while enjoying the holiday. It’s so beautiful seeing black people getting together and just having fun freely because something as simple as that wasn’t always available.

3. Visit a Black history museum

Though some museums may be closed, if there’s a black history museum open near you, give it a visit and learn a little bit about black history! You can never go wrong with gaining knowledge while admiring the beautiful artifacts the museums have to offer.

4. Go to a Juneteenth parade

Parades are so fun and lately, there have been a ton of Juneteenth parades! Most parades are probably done during the weekend, but it doesn’t hurt to check and see if there’s one happening in your area!

5. Spend the day reading up on black history and the history of Juneteenth

As stated earlier, you can never go wrong with gaining knowledge! There’s no better day to learn about the holiday than on the holiday itself. If you’re just really learning about Juneteenth or you still don’t fully understand why celebrating Juneteenth is better than the Fourth of July, this is a great way to learn more about it and gain a better grasp on what Juneteenth is about.

6. Have a movie day watching black movies

I don’t know about anyone else, but I love a good black movie! There are so many movies and genres that you can absolutely have a full day marathon. If you have the day off today, kick back, grab some popcorn, and enjoy a movie day!

7. By supporting other black creators and influencers

Although not everyone has a store to support, you can always support black creators by simply sharing, liking, commenting, and saving their posts. A lot of creators might often have a Cashapp or Ko-fi linked to where you can donate if you’d like simply as a thank you for all of the content they provide!

8. Helping the community by signing petitions or donating

Lastly, if you’re looking for a way to celebrate while helping the community, going online and finding (legit) petitions to sign or causes to donate to is a great way to help. There are so many injustices going on around the world due to the hate towards black people and the best way to help celebrate Juneteenth (especially as an ally to the black community) is to put your funds (or just your e-signature) to a good cause!

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Although Juneteenth has been noticed for many years, it’s still new in terms of getting the full recognition it truly deserves. More people are finding ways to celebrate it while still keeping its true meaning in mind. These ideas not only help you figure out how to celebrate but also how to honor it as we continue to acknowledge what it means for years to come.

Do you plan on celebrating Juneteenth today? How would you choose to celebrate?

Happy Juneteenth!