The Emancipation Proclamation was issued by Abraham Lincoln on September 22, 1862. It went into effect on January 1, 1863. However, slaves were not set free in the Confederacy until Union army was able to come in and take over. On June 18, 1865, the Union army arrived in Galveston, Texas. The next day, June 19th, General Gordon Granger announced that the slaves in Texas were free by order of the president of the United States. The former slaves in Galveston celebrated the day that they were set free. The first Juneteenth celebration took place the very next year. The annual celebration began to spread throughout Texas and surrounding states. However, it became less popular in the early 1900's. It became popular once again in the 1950's and 1960's. In 1980, it became an official state holiday in Texas. There was a movement to get the day recognized on a national level. This finally happened when it was signed into law by President Biden on June 17, 2021 making it a federal holiday, after Congress passed The Juneteenth National Independence Day Act that same month.

Also known as the "Feast of Sacrifice", is a Muslim observance that celebrates the willingness of Abraham to sacrifice his son Ishmael as an act of obedience to God. The festival also marks the end of the annual Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia.