Culture

Caribbean history is a history of newcomers. This also holds for St Eustatius. After Columbus immigrants recolonized the islands and wiped out the indigenous population. The current population of St Eustatius descends from European colonists, African slaves, Asian contract workers and a small minority from other places. Even the flora and fauna of the Island is to an important extent imported. Today St Eustatius is a multi-ethnic community of more than 20 nationalities with cultural influences from all over the Caribbean and beyond and a multitude of mainly Christian religions. The people of St Eustatius are proud to be Statian, and proud to be Caribbean, albeit with a Dutch twinge. Statians’ first language is (Statian) English, although the official language is Dutch. Spanish is growing in importance on the island. The US dollar is the official currency.

The most well-known cultural events on St Eustatius are: Easter Monday (island wide beach picnics, music, jam sessions, food and drinks), Emancipation Day (ceremonies and celebrations of the abolition of slavery), Carnival in July (two weeks of festivities at carnival village nightly, with lots to eat and drink, music, local and international shows and beauty and calypso contests), Golden Rock Regatta (13-19 November), Statia Day (a national holiday which takes place annually on November 16th to commemorate the year 1776 in which St Eustatius was the first country to recognise the independence of the United States of America. The week leading up to Statia Day is a week full of celebrations and parties).