When is Betico Croes Day?
Betico Croes Day (Dia di Betico) is a public holiday in Aruba on January 25th each year.
Aruba is an island and a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in the southern Caribbean Sea.
About Betico Croes Day
This official holiday in Aruba marks the birthday of Betico Croes, known as the father of the Aruban nation.
Born on January 25th 1938, Gilberto Francois (Betico) Croes was an Aruban political activist who was a proponent of Aruba's separation from the rest of the Netherlands Antilles.
Betico Croes helped Aruba with attaining the "Status Aparte". With its new status Aruba was given autonomy from the Netherlands Antilles, and was allowed to function as a commonwealth within the Dutch kingdom.
On December 31st 1985, the evening before Aruba was due to secede from the Netherlands Antilles, Croes had an accident and slipped into a coma, from which he never regained consciousness. He passed away on November 26, 1986.
This official holiday features several cultural, sports and musical events throughout the island and there is a national celebration at Plaza Betico in Oranjestad.
