Christmas 2026
Christmas in Aruba 2026: Events & Parties
Every Christmas event in Aruba for 2026, updated daily: gaita nights, Christmas parties, Christmas Eve dinners and holiday happy hours. Christmas Eve is a Thursday this year, and Christmas Day and Boxing Day are both public holidays, so it is a long weekend. For December 31, see New Year's Eve in Aruba.
Saturday 21 November
1 event
Saturday 28 November
1 event
Christmas 2026 in Aruba: dates to know
Sat, Dec 5
Sinterklaas
Saint Nicholas brings presents to children, a Dutch tradition Aruba has kept.
Mon, Dec 7
Dia de las Velitas
Candles are lit on the evening before the Immaculate Conception, a Colombian tradition that has grown in Aruba.
Thu, Dec 24
Christmas Eve
Family dinners, midnight mass and Christmas Eve dinners at hotels and restaurants. Book ahead.
Fri, Dec 25
Christmas Day (public holiday)
Supermarkets, most shops and many local restaurants close. Hotel restaurants and bars usually stay open.
Sat, Dec 26
Boxing Day (public holiday)
Segundo Dia di Pasco, the second day of Christmas, with a long weekend through Sunday.
How Aruba celebrates Christmas
The season starts in November, when gaita, Christmas music with Venezuelan roots, takes over the radio and gaita groups start playing at parties and bars. By December the roundabouts and most homes are lit up, and in past years Cas di Luz in Seroe Preto, near San Nicolas, drew families every evening.
Christmas Eve is the big family night, with ayaca (corn dough and stewed meat wrapped in banana leaves), ham and ponche crema. Visitors celebrate at Christmas Eve dinners in the hotels, then head to the bars in Palm Beach, which stay busy all week.
After Christmas
The week between Christmas and New Year is one of the busiest of the year, with parties every night. The night of December 31 has its own guide: New Year's Eve in Aruba, with the parties, the midnight fireworks and the pagara. For a normal night out, see tonight in Aruba or the Aruba nightlife guide.
Christmas in Aruba: questions
Is Christmas celebrated in Aruba?
Yes, Christmas is one of the biggest celebrations of the year in Aruba. Homes and roundabouts are covered in Christmas lights, gaita groups play Christmas music at parties, and families gather for big dinners on Christmas Eve. Christmas Day and Boxing Day are both public holidays.
What is open on Christmas Day in Aruba?
Christmas Day (Friday, December 25, 2026) and Boxing Day (Saturday, December 26) are public holidays. Supermarkets and most shops close, and many local restaurants close too. Restaurants and bars at the hotels in Palm Beach and Eagle Beach usually stay open. Book Christmas Eve and Christmas Day dinners ahead.
Are there Christmas parties in Aruba?
Yes. Bars, beach clubs and hotels hold Christmas parties, gaita nights and Christmas Eve dinners, most of them in the two weeks before December 25. This page lists every Christmas event with venue, date and start time, and is updated daily.
What is gaita?
Gaita is Christmas music with Venezuelan roots and the sound of the holiday season in Aruba. Gaita groups play at parties, bars and community events from November until Christmas, and the radio plays it all December.
What do people eat at Christmas in Aruba?
Ayaca is the classic Aruban Christmas dish: corn dough filled with stewed meat, wrapped in banana leaves. Ham and ponche crema, a creamy eggnog-style liqueur, are also on most Christmas tables.
Where can I see Christmas lights in Aruba?
Roundabouts across the island are lit up for the season, and many homes are decorated. In past years Cas di Luz, a house of lights in Seroe Preto near San Nicolas, has been a family favorite. Evenings are the busiest time to visit.
What is the weather like at Christmas in Aruba?
Warm and sunny, around 30°C (86°F) in the day with a steady trade wind, and pleasant evenings. Aruba is outside the hurricane belt, so December is a dry, busy month.
How do you say Merry Christmas in Papiamento?
Bon Pasco. In Aruba, Christmas is called Pasco di Nacemento. In Curaçao and Bonaire you will see it spelled Bon Pasku.