my-server
← Wiki

Public holidays in Aruba

The national holidays in Aruba are:

Other celebrations in Aruba

These celebrations are not official holidays, but they are still part of the cultural celebrations in Aruba.

  • Semana Santa - the week leading up to the Easter holidays - It is a tradition for entire Aruban families to enjoy a few days vacation away from home camping on the beaches around the island.
  • Dera Gay (The Burying of the Rooster) - June 24th each year - On the Feast of St. John the Baptist (in Papiamento: Dia di San Juan) people thank the Gods for the good harvest year and request them to bless the harvests for the following year. This is a non-Christian tradition, related to African diaspora religions.
  • Aruba's Carnival Schedule Day - November 11th each year - At 11:11 AM on the 11th of the 11th month, the Carnival Schedule for the upcoming season is officially announced. The preparations period lasts till December 31st, and the contests, parties and parades start with the Torch Parade on the first Saturday in January. The final parades take place in the weekend before Ash Wednesday (Dutch: Aswoensdag).
  • Sinterklaas (Sint Nicolas or Santa Claus's Eve) - December 5th each year - Saint Nicolas arrives with his "Zwarte Pieten" (helpers) via boat, supposedly from Spain, to the Harbor of Oranjestad, on the first Saturday after November 11, i.e. a few weeks before his birthday and name day. On his arrival he greets all children of Aruba and rewards them with gifts and candy for their good behavior. On December 5th, on his birthday, Saint Nicolas treats all children with presents that get delivered to their house. (While the birthday and nameday of Saint Nicolas is really on December 6, it is the Saint Nicolas's Eve which is the focus of the celebration).
  • Halloween
  • Kingdom Day - December 15th each year - Kingdom's Day is the celebration of the signing of the Charter for the Kingdom of the Netherlands on 15 December 1954, which marked the ending of the colonial era in the Kingdom of the Netherlands. December 15 is an official day to raise the flag at all public buildings throughout the kingdom.

See also

References

External links