Juneteenth, also known as Juneteenth Independence Day or Freedom Day, is an important holiday that commemorates the end of slavery in the United States. On June 19, 1865, union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas to announce that the Civil War had ended and the Emancipation Proclamation had freed all enslaved people. This event came over two years after President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, as news was slow to travel to certain remote areas of the country. Ever since, Juneteenth has been celebrated by African Americans as a day of freedom and as a way to educate all Americans about the history of slavery and its final end.
Juneteenth is now a federal holiday in the United States, giving all Americans a chance to reflect on our history and the meaning of freedom. As a fun way to learn more about this historic event, here are 71 riddles about Juneteenth along with their answers. See how many you can get right!
Riddles
History
1. I’m the month when enslaved Texans learned they were free, what am I? Answer: June
2. Union soldiers arrived in Galveston to spread some important news, they said enslaved people were free, what historic document did this news relate to? Answer: The Emancipation Proclamation
3. I’m the president who signed this famous document in 1862 that freed enslaved people, who am I? Answer: Abraham Lincoln
4. We’re the last two states to end slavery in the US, one of us in December 1865, can you guess our names? Answer: Texas and Kentucky
5. News travelled slowly back when horses, boats and trains were used, how many years after the Emancipation Proclamation did Texas slaves learn they were free? Answer: Over 2 years
Celebrations
6. Juneteenth celebrations have included parades, barbecues, prayers and more. What red food is now a Juneteenth tradition for its symbolic meaning? Answer: Strawberry soda
7. Church services, speeches, music and dances are all part of this special day. What genre of music was originally performed at Juneteenth celebrations? Answer: Jazz
8. From state parks to national monuments, Juneteenth celebrations take place across the US in venues big and small. What major national monument hosted Juneteenth events in 2022? Answer: The National Mall in Washington DC
9. Juneteenth honors ancestors who lived through slavery but one day tasted liberty. What is another name for ancestors? Answer: Forefathers
10. As a child in Houston, Norma Barnes always looked forward to Juneteenth parties with homemade ___. What traditional dessert would fill in the blank? Answer: ice cream
Significance
11. Juneteenth reminds us of those who spent their lives enslaved until one June day brought freedom. This historic holiday emphasizes the value of what important human right? Answer: Liberty/Freedom
12. Juneteenth is a chance to joyfully celebrate but also to reflect solemnly on the past. What word for “thoughtful remembrance” fits here? Answer: Commemoration
13. An important value highlighted by Juneteenth is that enslaved people always had this, though it was not recognized, what inherent human trait? Answer: Dignity
14. Juneteenth would not exist without those who declared emancipation and fought for freedom. What word for “the ones taking action” fits here? Answer: Activists
15. We cannot change the past but learning about it helps us do this important thing to improve society. What is the missing word? Answer: Progress
Emancipation
16. When enslaved people in Texas finally heard the news, they responded with pure ___. What emotion fits the blank? Answer: Joy
17. Can you imagine waiting more than 2 years to hear you were free? The emotion must have been an overwhelming ___. What similar word fits in the blank? Answer: Jubilation
18. Finally liberty was proclaimed across the land! The day brought not just joy but relief to be ___ from bondage. What word meaning “untied” or “freed” fits in the blank? Answer: Unfettered
19. At last the time had come, after years of forced labor they were ___. What 2-word phrase meaning “no longer enslaved” fits the blank? Answer: Liberated/set free
20. Their years of involuntary servitude were finally over! The long-awaited news meant the end of their ___. What 5-letter word for “slavery” goes in the blank? Answer: Bondage
Juneteenth Today
21. Juneteenth celebrations bring Americans of all backgrounds together. What inclusive term means “including people of different races and cultures”? Answer: Multicultural
22. In 2021, Juneteenth officially became a federal holiday thanks to legislation and advocacy. What type of change is another word for legislation? Answer: Law
23. Juneteenth is now recognized as a national holiday after decades of this group championing it. What 2-word phrase fits the blank? Answer: Grassroots movement
24. Americans can reflect on Juneteenth’s history and celebrate how far we’ve come. What word meaning “social and moral progress” fits this context? Answer: Enlightenment
25. Holidays like Juneteenth can bring this positive feeling of fellowship and community. What emotion fits the blank? Answer: Togetherness
Word Play
26. [Juneteenth] is the holiday, [Nineteenth] is a number word. Remove 4 letters to make them the same, which 4 should you take away? Answer: J-U-N-E
27. Almost the middle of the year, June is the _____ month. Fill the blank with an ordinal number. Answer: Sixth
28. Counting the months, June comes right after this one, do you know its name? Answer: May
29. Juneteenth sounds like it has a number in the name, even though it doesn’t. What number word rhymes with “June”? Answer: Nineteen
30. How many days are in the month of June, not counting leap years of course! Answer: 30
31. June has less than 31 days but more than 28, how many total could it contain? Answer: 29 or 30
32. June nineteenth is written as 6/19 numerically. How is it written in Roman numerals? Answer: VI/XIX
33. Add a silent letter P to June and rearrange to make a new word, any guesses? Answer: Jumped
34. Take the ST from June and you can do this summer activity on the water. What’s the word? Answer: Paddle
35. Remove the NE from June and you’re left with this warm season. What’s its name? Answer: Summer
Word Scramble
36. EIJUTNNEE Answer: JUNETEENTH
37. DOEFEERM Answer: FREEDOM
38. TEXAT Answer: TEXAS
39. TNEYCEINNEH Answer: NINETEENTH
40. NOTIACMRALOEPC Answer: EMANCIPATION
41. LABRVYES Answer: SLAVERY
42. BRAYFEUC Answer: FEBBRUARY
43. KTUYCNEK Answer: KENTUCKY
44. NOLICLN Answer: LINCOLN
45. GAAIVLTSON Answer: GALVESTON
Odd One Out
For each group, pick the word that does NOT belong:
46. Emancipation, Juneteenth, Labor Day, Freedom
Answer: Labor Day
47. February, Texas, June, Kentucky
Answer: February
48. parade, barbecue, fireworks, services
Answer: fireworks
49. slavery, celebration, inequality, remembrance
Answer: celebration
50. national, federal, state, confederate
Answer: confederate
Rhyming Riddles
51. In June they were finally free, it took this state’s slaves years to see. Answer: Texas
52. Freed from work with no pay, Juneteenth marks slavery’s last day. Answer: Yay
53. Lincoln signed it, setting thousands free, this famous document of emancipation be. Answer: Emancipation Proclamation
54. Juneteenth honors those in bondage, and the liberty they one day did manage. Answer: To gain
55. Church services and speeches galore, what else happens at celebrations more and more? Answer: Parades and dances
Riddle Rhymes
Add a rhyming word to complete each riddle:
56. News travelled slowly without modern tech, for Texas slaves to hear took over ____ Answer: two years
57. Juneteenth is a chance for us all to unite, by celebrating _____ despite difference in race and in site. Answer: freedom
58. Juneteenth allows thoughtful looks at history’s pages, to reflect on the struggles of previous _____. Answer: ages
59. Juneteenth reminds us of those deprived of liberty, and the value of rights gained eventually. Answer: certainty
60. Texas was far out west it’s true, and the last slave state to get the good ___. Answer: news
Finish the Line
Complete these poetic lines about Juneteenth:
61. Juneteenth freedom day, remembering the 19th of…
Answer: June
62. Singing jazz music, praying grateful prayer
Celebrating on this day with love and…
Answer: care
63. Though long they waited through labor and strife
At last liberty came and…
Answer: changed their life
64. Ancestors who never stopped hoping and dreaming
For freedom’s dawn on one historic…
Answer: morning
65. The fight for freedom was not in vain
With Juneteenth now a holiday for…
Answer: all Americans
Final Facts
66. Juneteenth celebrates the end of slavery in the USA. True or false? Answer: True
67. Juneteenth became a federal holiday in 1989. True or false? Answer: False – it became a federal holiday in 2021
68. Juneteenth is also called Emancipation Day. True or false? Answer: True
69. Texas was the first state to make Juneteenth an official state holiday. True or false? Answer: True
70. Juneteenth is celebrated on June 15th. True or false? Answer: False – it is celebrated on June 19th
71. Juneteenth is a chance to celebrate freedom and reflect on the history of slavery. True or false?
Answer: True
Conclusion
Juneteenth commemorates a pivotal moment in American history – the end of slavery. While it reminds us of a painful past, it also symbolizes the power of hope and freedom’s promise fulfilled. As a new federal holiday, Juneteenth offers an opportunity for all Americans to celebrate, remember, learn, and draw inspiration from the belief in liberty and human rights that persists from generation to generation. How many of these 71 Juneteenth riddles could you solve correctly? Learning about holidays like this through fun activities engages our minds and helps us appreciate the diverse threads that make up the fabric of America.
