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local Tuesday 4 July 2023

The Day of Independence

ORANJESTAD — Today is mer of 1776. In a June 7
a federal holiday in the session in the Pennsylvania
United States and although State House (later Inde-
this is not the case in Aruba pendence Hall), Richard
we do celebrate Indepen- Henry Lee of Virginia pre-
dence Day. With most of sented a resolution with the
our visitors being American famous words: "Resolved:
citizens, our island joins in That these United Colonies
typical American traditions are, and of right ought to
and celebrations. July 4th, be, free and independent
Independence Day, is the States, that they are ab-
most important one in the solved from all allegiance
row. to the British Crown, and
that all political connec-
On July 4, 1776, the 13 col- tion between them and
onies claimed their inde- the State of Great Britain is,
pendence from England, and ought to be, totally dis-
an event which eventually solved."
led to the formation of the On the first Independence
United States. Each year Day celebration, held in
on the fourth of July Ameri- Philadelphia on July 4, 1777, are part of the celebration and blue and wave Ameri- the hotel area, food spe-
cans celebrate this historic when the country was still as also the typical Ameri- can flags. cials and more! Ask your
event. in the midst of the Revolu- can lifestyle is honored. This hotel concierge for more
Conflict between the col- tionary War against Britain, awesome holiday includes On Aruba most of the re- details.
onies and England was citizens came together to many customs like parades sorts set up celebrations On behalf of Aruba Today
already a year old when watch their new nation's and concerts. During the and special dinners for their we wish everyone a fantas-
the colonies convened a sky illuminated in a grand day, families get together guests. There are fireworks tic 4th of July!q
Continental Congress in display meant to raise spir- for picnics and parades. on the beach and 4th of
Philadelphia in the sum- its. For this reason fireworks People wear red, white, July club parties around Source: military.com.

Aruban legends:
Frenchman’s Pass

Pass, and there have been hand appeared again. Af-
many accounts of spirits ter having had enough, the
roaming the area of Span- man decided to jump out
ish Lagoon. and he ran to Santa Cruz.

There are many ghost sto- Arriving at a nearby bar,
ries surrounding this area, he ordered a drink and be-
but one of the most famous gan to tell everyone about
one involves a lonely hitch- his experience. Everyone
hiker, trying to find a ride grew quiet, because they
back home in the dark realized he wasn’t some
rainy night. drunk messing around; he
was telling the truth.
Sometime after trying to
hitchhike, the man saw a Sometime later, two men
car approaching, appear- walked into the bar and
ing almost ghost-like in the one of them noticed the
rain. However, since he hitchhiker. He called out to
needed a ride real bad, his buddy and said: “Look,
he didn’t think twice and there’s the idiot who sat
jumped in. But to his horror, in our car when we were
he noticed that the there pushing it!”
was no driver in the front.
Paralyzed with fear, he French man’s pass is one
didn’t dare to get out, and of the few sites on the is-
(Oranjestad)—If you ever The history of the French- arms, the indigenous set- the car started to move. land that keeps the locals
plan on taking a group man’s pass—and how it got tlers began to retreat, and on their toes. While most
tour of the island, you may its name—dates back to hid away in nearby caves. When approaching a ghost stories may not have
pass through the French- the colonization era, when The French colonizers tried sharp turn, the hitch hiker real grounds—or some may
man’s Pass in Balashi. The the French tried to colo- to smoke them out of the braced for impact, but just even be a set up story for a
Frenchman’s pass (known nize the island, but were caves, but the indigenous when he though the car joke, this pass contributes a
to locals as “Franse Pas”) met with an angry mob of settlers ended up inhal- might drive straight off the lot to our culture of folkloric
remains a mysterious—and indigenous settlers, refusing ing too much smoke and road and crash, he saw a story-telling.q
spooky—road of which its to give up their land. How- most died in those caves. hand appear out the win-
legend is told from genera- ever, as the French were From then on, this passage dow and turn the wheel. Source: visitaruba.com
tion to generation. heavily equipped with fire was known as Frenchman’s For the next few turns, the