Page 11 - AHATA

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local Monday 28 July 2025

Aruba’s kite flying tradition

home. Using dried up cactus sticks
for the frame, old news papers, and
glue made from flour, water and salt
to dry faster (some people even use
cornstarch slurry as glue), kids usu-
ally make their own kites with their
friends, parents or other close family
members. Tails are made from old
bed sheets, ripped and tied togeth-
er to create a long string of fabric
trailing behind the back end of the
kite. To finish off the process, people
used fish lines or thin rope to tie three
corners of the kite together. Another
long string of rope is tied in the knot-
(Oranjestad)—Every year for King’s ted center and bundled up, used
Day, Arubans gather with friends and to steer the kite as it flies in the air.
family to fly kites. Big or small, paper Decorating the kite was especially
or plastic, blue skies fill up with these important, and children would use
colorful flying contraptions, bright- paint to create their own designs—
ening our yearly celebration of the the more colorful, the better!
Dutch Monarch.
People usually fly their kites in big
The tradition of flying kites starts at open fields, like empty soccer and
home in the weeks leading up to baseball fields found all around the
King’s Day. These kites were tradition- island around noon, when the sun is In the past few years, kite flying has other to see whose kite is the big-
ally made with things found in the at its brightest. become a sport in which groups of gest, the prettiest, and whose could
nearby mondi* and in the kitchen at people would battle against each fly flawlessly and longer in the air.q

The legend of the Kibrahacha tree

(Oranjestad)— As the cli- about three to four days, dawecha. Upon telling Ku- Aruban flora and fauna,
mate begins to dry up here, as the flowers start to fall dawecha that her father told Aretima to start pluck-
the Kibrahacha is ready to off and the tree starts grow- was sick, he immediately ing the thorns of the tree to
bloom. Known locally for its ing its green leaves. The accompanied Aretima climb to the top where the
bright, yellow flowers, this Kibrahacha is especially back to her hut, where he flowers are. Aretima, just as
special tree only blooms particular, as it’s the only encountered her father in determined to save her fa-
for three to four days only. one among its neighboring a bad state. Not willing to ther, didn’t hesitate to start.
Scientifically known as Ta- trees to start blooming first. waste any time, he told
bebuia billbergii, and in Aretima that the only thing To her surprise, every time the flowers and gave it to
English as the Yellow Poui, The legend of the Kibraha- that can cure her father she plucked a thorn of the her sick husband. Miracu-
this tree is native to the Ca- cha is a home-made potion tree, a bright, yellow flower lously, after just one sip of
ribbean islands of Aruba, Written by Hubert (Lio Booi) made out of the Kibraha- bloomed in its place. The the tea, the father’s fever
Bonaire and Curacao, and cha flower. At the time the thorns were hard to pluck left his body immediately,
is considered among locals One day Aterima, who Kibrahacha was not yet in out, but Aretima contin- and he opened eyes and
as one of the most spec- lived west of the hill Sero her blooming season, but ued plucking with enthu- sprung up feeling new.
tacular trees on the island. Warawara, woke up one the stubborn Kudawecha siasm and wonder at the
But did you also know that day to find her father was determined to bring unfolding sight before her. The next morning, they all
the beautiful yellow flowers sleeping in his hammock, back Aretima’s father back Not too long after she was visited the same Kibraha-
have a story behind them? suffering a bout of terrible to health, and so off they able to fill her entire satchel cha tree that saved the
fever. Her mother was very went to the nearest Kibra- with the yellow flowers. Ku- life of Aretima’s father and
The Kibrahacha is said worried, and as was the hacha tree. dawecha, satisfied to see they saw another mira-
to have extremely hard custom in the olden days, Aretima so happy and en- cle. The tree was covered
wood—so hard that it can asked Aterima to go fetch When they arrived at the couraged to help her fa- again in the same bright,
break an axe. In fact, that’s Kudawecha, who was a tree, they saw that it was ther, took her back to her yellow flowers, with not a
what its name means in Pa- epistemophile, to come covered head to toe in hut. thorn in sight. And as the
piamento: “kibra” (break) see his father. thorns, with only a few legend goes, from that day
“hacha” (axe). The flowers closed flowers at the very Upon arriving back at on, the Kibrahacha tree no
bloom around April and Aterima wasted to time top. Kudawecha, experi- the hut, Aretima’s mother longer produced any more
May, but this only last for and went to go fetch Ku- enced veteran in all things quickly made a tea out of thorns. q