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local Saturday 22 November 2025
Aruba’s kite flying tradition

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

The Aruban way of life: Creating community with Cas di Torto

(Oranjestad)—The Aruban people tury in the Paraguana Peninsula in to flow freely through the house.
understand that a happy life is Venezuela. Refugees who sought This method of roofing was known
spent in great ambience with your sanctuary on Aruba introduced throughout the ABC islands (Aru-
loved ones. Passed down from one this building method to the island. ba, Curacao, Bonaire), but the
generation to the other, building use of cornstalks in Aruba eventu-
community has been a key aspect The uprights of the walls were made ally got replaced with use of mud
in forging our traditions and cus- with sturdy and straight wayaca and white plaster for the roofs. The
toms. The Cas di Torto (mud house) or kwihi wood, or from thin man- white plaster all around made the
played a big role in cultivating grove struts. Then, the wattle walls houses looks like cake, hence the
community, bridging families to- were weaved in using branches name “Torto” (Spanish for “cake”).
gether and forming close bonds and twigs from the warero and si-
with your neighbors—something sal plant, daubed with a mixture Building community
we highly value today. of grass and mud. Finally, the walls Building Torto houses was often a
got a coat of white plaster to seal community effort. Young couples
Cas di Torto: History and construc- everything in. who were about to get married
tion had to have their house built be-
The origin of the Cas di Torto is said For roofing, corn stalks, palm fonds fore they could tie the knot and
to date back to the early 19th cen- and straws were used, allowing air start their own family. This is where
the help of the community comes
into play. and mixing the mud.

Neighbors, extended family and The average duration of construct-
friends would all help in the con- ing a Cas di Torto was 4 months.
struction of a Torto House. And ev-
eryone had a role: The men over- At the end of a long day of work,
saw the building of the house, and everyone would gather around
the women were tasked with col- and enjoy a feast of hearty food.
lecting wood and straws, cooking This type of help from friends and
and taking care of the little ones. family became a tradition and was
called “paga lomba”: You help
The couple’s family were primarily me today; I’ll help you tomorrow.
responsible for feeding everyone
who helped build the house. Be- Nowadays, traditional Cas di Torto
fore construction, someone usually are rare, especially those that are
had the task to prepare the meal; still inhabited. Houses that do exist
going fishing or slaughter farm ani- probably date back more than a
mals like goats, chicken or sheep. century.q
Even the older kids had their tasks; Picture credits: Aruba National Library
the older children of the family usu- (BNA) and the Monumentbureau ar-
ally helped with collecting water chive on Coleccion.aw