Indian Arrival Day is observed in Suriname on June 5. This national holiday commemorates the arrival of East Indian immigrants in 1873, following the abolition of slavery in 1863, which required a ten-year transition period. As plantation owners sought labor, the Dutch organized the immigration of contract workers from India, leading to a significant population of Indians in Suriname. Although these immigrants initially served a 10-year contract, about two-thirds chose to remain in Suriname to establish new lives. Today, Indians represent the largest ethnic group in the country, contributing to various sectors of the economy. Celebrations include laying wreaths and flowers at the Baba and Mai statue, which symbolizes the first Indian man and woman to arrive in Suriname.