New Year’s Day in Curaçao
New Year’s Day falls on January 1 and is an official holiday in Curaçao. The island’s public observance is part of a wider holiday season that includes the New Year’s Eve tradition of pagaras, long strings of firecrackers.[1][4]
Official holiday and time off
Curaçao’s government lists New Year’s Day as a one-day official holiday on January 1. The government says workers have the day off and schoolchildren do not attend school, with an exception for workers assigned to shifts such as police, firefighters, and nursing staff.[1]
The Labour Regulation includes New Year’s Day among its legal holidays. Employees who work a scheduled shift on a holiday are entitled to at least twice their normal pay for the hours worked. The law lists January 1 for New Year’s Day and does not set a substitute weekday when it falls on a Sunday.[2]
How the island marks the season
The Curaçao Tourist Board describes late December and early January as a period of traditions and events, including pagaras, fireworks shows, New Year’s Eve parties, and Fuik Day.[4] These activities frame the transition into the new year.
A pagara is a long string of firecrackers lit on New Year’s Eve. The Tourist Board describes it as a local tradition associated with welcoming the new year. Its seasonal overview also mentions fireworks shows during the final week of the year.[4]
What to expect on the holiday
The public holiday affects work and school schedules, but it does not mean every shop must remain closed all day. Curaçao’s shop-closing law bars shops from opening before 8 a.m. or after 8 p.m. on Sundays and designated holidays, while allowing opening within that period. The law also lists exceptions, including restaurants, hotels, hotel shops, airport shops, pharmacies for medicines, and some other businesses.[1][3]
Check with a bank, public transport operator, restaurant or attraction before making plans.
The date and its wider context
New Year’s Day is the first day of the Gregorian calendar year.
Curaçao’s New Year traditions centre on New Year’s Eve and the wider holiday period.[4]
Frequently asked questions
Is it a day off?
Is there a substitute day if January 1 falls on Sunday?
The labour law lists New Year’s Day as January 1 but does not set a substitute weekday for it.[2]
Are shops open?
The law allows shops to open between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. on a designated holiday, subject to exceptions and any applicable exemptions. Individual businesses may choose different hours.[3]
Sources and references
Sources used for New Year's Day in Curaçao:
- Officiële vrije dagen op Curaçao (Nationale Feestdagen)- Gobiernu di Kòrsou
- Publicatieblad Landbesluit houdende vaststelling van de geconsolideerde tekst van de Arbeidsregeling 2000- Gobiernu di Kòrsou
- Landsverordening Winkelsluiting- Gobiernu di Kòrsou
- When is the best time of year to visit Curaçao?- Curaçao Tourist Board