Arbor Day in Cuba Date in the current year: June 21, 2024

Arbor Day was proposed in Cuba by a group of activists and patriots from Vedado, the neighborhood of Havana in 1904. They aimed to commemorate the independence uprising led by Carlos Manuel de Céspedes and planted the trees on one of the streets of Vedado. During the next ten years celebration of Arbor Day was actively promoted in Havana and the citizens urged the government to establish the Tree Festival to follow example of other states, where Arbor Day was celebrated at the national level.

Over the next years Tree Festival was organized in Cuba on different dates. In 1999 the National Botanic Garden again urged the government of Cuba officially establish the event and annually organize it on June 21. The National Botanic Garden invited students, elderly people and farmers to participate in inaugural event, that was held in two schools. During the following years the number of schools participating in Arbor Day increased and in 2005 the festival was finally coordinated by the officials.