Show new year day double holiday in haiti for latin americas republic of haiti january 1 marks no not t only the beginning of a new year but also the anniversary of its independence it was on january 1 1804 that jean jacques De dessalines salines formally declared the islands freedom from prance france and of haiti for the new nation in defying the great napoleon and winning its freedom f from rom prance france haiti became the second nation a tion of the western hemisphere to win independence as well as the first and only french speak ing republic of the new world |