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📅 holiday

National Anthem and Flag Day

Wednesday, March 18, 2026

— days to go

Every 18 March is “National Anthem and Flag Day” in Aruba. It commemorates the day in 1976 when both the flag and anthem of Aruba were officially adopted. That date in 1976 was chosen to coincide with the date that a petition for Aruban independence was presented on 18 March, 1948 – thirty years earlier. In 2027, National Anthem and Flag Day falls on Thursday 18 March. The holiday will be on Saturday 18 March in 2028. Famed Aruban composer Padu del Caribe, with two others, composed the Aruban national anthem, called “Aruba Dushi Tera”, meaning “Aruba Sweet Land”. The flag, a blue field with two parallel yellow lines at the bottom and a red, four-pointed star at the top left corner, was designed by independence leader Betico Croes. On National Anthem and Flag Day, Aruban places of business close down, and the populace turns out in strength in Oranjestad. There, you see them waving the Aruban flag and hear them singing the national anthem as the partying begins. There are also many cultural events, sports competitions, and traditional games played on this day all over the island.

History

It commemorates the day in 1976 when both the flag and anthem of Aruba were officially adopted. That date in 1976 was chosen to coincide with the date that a petition for Aruban independence was presented on 18 March, 1948 – thirty years earlier. The flag, a blue field with two parallel yellow lines at the bottom and a red, four-pointed star at the top left corner, was designed by independence leader Betico Croes. There are also many cultural events, sports competitions, and traditional games pl

How It's Celebrated

It commemorates the day in 1976 when both the flag and anthem of Aruba were officially adopted. The holiday will be on Saturday 18 March in 2028. There, you see them waving the Aruban flag and hear them singing the national anthem as the partying begins. There are also many cultural events, sports c

Other Years

2027 Thu
18 Mar
2028 Sat
18 Mar
2026 Wed
18 Mar
2025 Tue
18 Mar

Countries

AW

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