A scene from the Saba Day official ceremony on December 7, 2018. Windwardside hosted the festivities last year.
SABA–Preparations for this year’s Saba Day celebration on Friday, December 6, and the events during Saba Day Weekend are progressing well. The 44th celebration has as theme “Building Roads to the Future” and will start with the official ceremony at the Government Administration Building in The Bottom on Friday morning. On Saturday, December 14, Saba Day will be celebrated both in the Netherlands and in Florida, United States.
The programme for Saba Day Weekend has been released and, as is customary, the official part will start at 6:00am Friday with the joy bells and the ringing of the church bells. After the blessings by Father Zibi and Pastor Alexander at 8:00am, the hoisting of the flag by Island Governor Jonathan Johnson and Saba Comprehensive School (SCS) students will take place, followed by the singing of the Saba Anthem by schoolchildren and the singing of the Flag Song by the Woods Sisters.
Master of Ceremonies will be Jade Every.
Saba Day speeches will be given by Island Governor Johnson and Commissioners Rolando Wilson and Bruce Zagers. After that, there will be a brief awards ceremony to recognise persons who have made a special contribution to Saba and its community. Pastor Liburd will close the official ceremony.
There will be several cultural events, including a performance by a dance group, and a public reception which will end at 12:00pm. Dignitaries and guests from surrounding islands and the Dutch Caribbean have been invited to attend Saba Day.
Booths, fishing tournament
The booths on Mathew Levenstone Street in The Bottom will be open from 9:00am to 9:00pm Friday, while the Ram Goat show and competition will take place at the grounds of Carmen Simmons Cultural Complex in The Bottom at 12:00pm.
There will be a youth female volleyball tournament at Peter L. Granger Sports Auditorium in St. John’s at 4:00pm, followed by the male volleyball competition.
The captains of the fishing boats competing in the Saba Wahoo Fishing Tournament will meet for a briefing at Think About It Bar at Fort Bay at 6:00pm to receive the last information about the tournament, which will start at midnight with the departure of the boats from Captain L.A.I. Chance Pier.
The Saba Cross Walk from Juancho Yrausquin Airport to the pier starts at 6:30am Saturday, December 7. Child Focus will host face painting and other activities for children at Johan Cruijff Court at 9:00am. The cultural booths open at Fort Bay at 10:00am. Entertainment starts at 11:00am. The male basketball tournament at Peter L. Granger Sports Auditorium starts at 4:00pm, while the Wahoo fishing tournament will finish at that same time.
After the fishing boats return, local bands and deejays will entertain the crowd from 6:00pm. The most creative bike competition and the Wahoo Fishing Tournament prize-giving ceremony are at 7:00pm.
The cultural booths will open at 10:00am Sunday, December 8, and entertainment starts at 11:00am. Several fun activities will start at 12:00pm, beginning with the Village Tug of War competition, followed by target shooting, a kite competition and a sweet potato pudding tasting competition. The awards ceremony will be at 8:00pm. Saba Day Weekend ends at midnight.
Change of venue
Initially, the official Saba Day programme was to take place at Hell’s Gate, the designated village for this year’s festivities on December 6. However, for safety reasons it was decided to move the event to The Bottom.
“It hurts my heart that we can’t hold it in Hell’s Gate as we originally planned,” said Commissioner Wilson, who has been promoting to alternate the Saba Day celebrations between the villages. He said the Hell’s Gate Committee still played a role in this year’s event.
Wilson called on everyone to come out on Saba Day Weekend. “Come celebrate our national day in grand style, celebrate who we are, where we have come from, being proud of those of who have built our beautiful island and eagerly looking forward to the future. I am calling on everyone to get their flags out and let us show the world that we truly love our little Unspoiled Queen.”
This year again, Saba Day will be celebrated in the Netherlands as well. On December 14, Entyce Proggers and Party PPL Association are hosting the second annual Saba Day event in The Hague, at Café de Vriendenkring, Elandstraat 77D, from 3:00 to 11:00pm. Commissioner Wilson invites the Saba people in the Netherlands to come out. He thanked the organisers and Lucia J. Woods.
Florida celebration
Saba Day is celebrating its 10th anniversary in Florida this year. The event, which was always privately organised, has grown throughout the years. Because it is an anniversary year, the public entity Saba has made a contribution. This year, the Saba Day ballot tournament winners will go to Florida to participate in the event there. Zagers will be present to present awards to the winners, to the two people who started the event 10 years ago and to the couple who continued this tradition.
Source: The Daily Herald https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/92804-preparations-for-saba-day-are-in-full-swing
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