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The national holidays in Aruba are:
Date | English name | Dutch name | Papiamento name | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 January | New Year's Day | Nieuwjaarsdag | Aña Nobo | About special Aruban tradition related to the New Year's Eve, pagara and Dande. [1] |
25 January | Betico Croes Day | Dag van Betico Croes | Dia di Betico Croes | Arubans commemorates the birthday of the late Aruban political leader, Gilberto François ("Betico") Croes, called the Father of the Aruban People and Libertador (lit. Liberator). He helped Aruba attain the "Status Aparte", giving Aruba autonomy from the Netherlands Antilles and eventually allowing it to function as a commonwealth within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. |
February or March | Carnival Monday | Carnaval Maandag | Dialuna Carnaval | Carnival Monday always takes place after the weekend of the grand Carnival parades and it is the Monday before Ash Wednesday. 2024: February 12. It is an official day of rest, so that everyone can recoup and recover from all the parades and festivities that took place in the previous two months or so. |
March 18 | National Anthem and Flag Day | Dag van het Volkslied en de Vlag | Dia di Himno y Bandera | The national Flag of Aruba, along with the official anthem "Aruba Dushi Tera", was adopted on 18 March 1976. The celebration commemorates the Kingdom of the Netherlands giving Aruba an autonomous status (Status Aparte). [2] |
March or April | Good Friday | Goede Vrijdag | Bierna Santo | Friday before Easter. 2024: March 29 |
March or April | Easter Monday | Tweede Paasedag | Dialuna Pasco | This is a two-day holiday, called Eerste Paasdag (lit.: First Easter Day) on Sunday and Tweede Paasdag (lit.: Second Easter Day) on Monday. 2024: March 31 - April 1. |
27 April | King's Day | Koningsdag | Dia di Rey | This is the celebration of the birthday of King Willem-Alexander of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. If April 27 falls on a Sunday, King's Day is celebrated on the 26th. |
May 1 | Labour Day | Dag van de Arbeid | Dia di Labor | Contrary to the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, where no Labor Day is celebrated at all (even not at a different date), Arubans celebrate it on the 1st of May, like most countries of the world. |
40 days after Easter | Ascension Day | Hemelvaartsdag | Dia di Ascension | 2024: May 9 |
25–26 December | Christmas Day | Kerstmis | Pasco di Nacemento (Pasco) | Two days of Christmas are celebrated, called Eerste Kerstdag (lit. First Christmas Day) and Tweede Kerstdag (lit. Second Christmas Day) |
These celebrations are not official holidays, but they are still part of the cultural celebrations in Aruba.
Aruba, officially the Country of Aruba, is a constituent island country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, in the southern Caribbean Sea 29 kilometres (18 mi) north of the Venezuelan peninsula of Paraguaná and 80 kilometres (50 mi) northwest of Curaçao on the South-American continent. In 1986, Aruba became a constituent country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands and acquired the formal name the Country of Aruba.
Carnival or Shrovetide is a festive season that occurs at the close of the Christian pre-Lenten period, consisting of Quinquagesima or Shrove Sunday, Shrove Monday, and Shrove Tuesday or Mardi Gras.
Meteņi or Metenis is an ancient Latvian spring waiting holiday, that ends on Ash Wednesday, which is followed by Lent. Meteņi is celebrated in February or early March, seven weeks before Lieldienas.
Midsummer is a celebration of the season of summer, taking place on or near the date of the summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere; the longest day of the year. The name "midsummer" mainly refers to summer solstice festivals of European origin. In these cultures it is traditionally regarded as the middle of summer, with the season beginning on May Day. Although the summer solstice falls on 20, 21 or 22 June in the Northern Hemisphere, it was traditionally reckoned to fall on 23–24 June in much of Europe. These dates were Christianized as Saint John's Eve and Saint John's Day. It is usually celebrated with outdoor gatherings that include bonfires and feasting.
In the Gregorian calendar, New Year's Eve refers to the evening, or commonly the entire day, of the last day of the year, 31 December, also known as Old Year's Day. In many countries, New Year's Eve is celebrated with dancing, eating, drinking, and watching or lighting fireworks. Many Christians attend a watchnight service to mark the occasion. New Year's Eve celebrations generally continue into New Year's Day, 1 January, past midnight.
A national day is a day on which celebrations mark the statehood or nationhood of a state or its people. It may be the date of independence, of becoming a republic, of becoming a federation, or a significant date for a patron saint or a ruler.
Sinterklaas or Sint-Nicolaas is a legendary figure based on Saint Nicholas, patron saint of children. Other Dutch names for the figure include De Sint, De Goede Sint and De Goedheiligman. Many descendants and cognates of "Sinterklaas" or "Saint Nicholas" in other languages are also used in the Low Countries, nearby regions, and former Dutch colonies.
The King's Official Birthday is the selected day in most Commonwealth realms on which the birthday of the monarch is officially celebrated in those countries. It does not necessarily correspond to the date of the monarch's actual birth.
Saint Nicholas Day, also called the "Feast of Saint Nicholas", observed on 6 December in Western Christian countries, and on 19 December in Eastern Christian countries using the old church Calendar, is the feast day of Saint Nicholas of Myra; it falls within the season of Advent. It is celebrated as a Christian festival with particular regard to Saint Nicholas' reputation as a bringer of gifts, as well as through the attendance of church services.
The national holidays in the Netherlands are:
The culture of Aruba, encompassing its language, music, and cuisine, is diverse and has been influenced by both regional and foreign cultures. One significant foreign influence originates from the Iberian Peninsula, which had a significant impact on the island for approximately 137 years, starting c. 1500. These influences were characaterized by a strong religious presence, missionary activities, and economic exploitation.
Emancipation Day is observed in many former European colonies in the Caribbean and areas of the United States on various dates to commemorate the emancipation of slaves of African descent.
The observance of Christmas around the world varies by country. The day of Christmas, and in some cases the day before and the day after, are recognized by many national governments and cultures worldwide, including in areas where Christianity is a minority religion which are usually found in Africa and Asia. In some non-Christian areas, periods of former colonial rule introduced the celebration ; in others, Christian minorities or foreign cultural influences have led populations to observe the holiday.
Below are some of common festivities associated with, or observed by the Dutch ethnic group. Included are cultural feasts. National holidays, of for example the Netherlands are omitted. Major festivities include:
The Kingdom of the Netherlands, commonly known simply as the Netherlands, is a sovereign state consisting of a collection of constituent territories united under the monarch of the Netherlands, who functions as head of state. The realm is not a federation; it is a unitary monarchy with its largest subdivision, the eponymous Netherlands, predominantly located in Northwestern Europe and with several smaller island territories located in the Caribbean.
In Sweden, public holidays are established by acts of Parliament. The official holidays can be divided into Christian and non-Christian holidays. The Christian holidays are jul (Christmas), trettondedag jul (Epiphany), påsk (Easter), Kristi himmelsfärds dag, pingstdagen (Pentecost), and alla helgons dag. The non-Christian holidays are: nyårsdagen, första maj, Sveriges nationaldag, and midsommar (Midsummer). Midsummer is, however, officially also a Christian holiday to celebrate John the Baptist's birthday.
Koningsdag or King's Day is a national holiday in the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Celebrated on 27 April, the date marks the birth of King Willem-Alexander. When the Dutch monarch is female, the holiday is known as Koninginnedag or Queen's Day and, under Queen Beatrix until 2013, was celebrated on 30 April. She prolonged the tradition that was born under her mother's reign: Queen Juliana's birthday was on April 30th.
A variety of customs and traditions are associated with Carnival celebrations in the German-speaking countries of Germany, Switzerland and Austria. They can vary considerably from country to country, but also from one small region to another. This is reflected in the various names given to these festivities occurring before Lent.
Independence Day of the Republic of Belarus, also known as Republic Day or Liberation Day is a public holiday, the independence day of Belarus and is celebrated each year on 3 July. Independence Day is a non-working day.