| Statia Day | |
|---|---|
| Observed by |  Sint Eustatius |
| Type | National |
| Date | 16 November |
Statia Day is a national holiday celebrated in the Caribbean island of Sint Eustatius, a special municipality of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. [1] [2] It celebrates "The First Salute", when Sint Eustatius (known locally as Statia) became the first country to recognize the United States. [2] On 16 November 1776, the Continental Navy ship Andrew Doria fired a salute upon entering the harbor in Sint Eustatius, customary for ships entering a foreign port. A few minutes later, by order of Johannes de Graaff, the Dutch Governor, guns from the island’s Fort Oranje returned the salute. [3]
