Curaçao Day is a public holiday observed annually on October 10 in Curaçao, an island in the Southern Caribbean Sea. This day commemorates the anniversary of Curaçao becoming a nation within the Dutch Kingdom, which occurred in 2010 following the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles. As the largest of the six Caribbean islands in the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Curaçao manages its internal affairs autonomously while the Kingdom oversees areas like defense and foreign relations. The holiday has replaced previous observances, such as Curacao Day on July 26 and Kingdom Day on December 15. Typical customs include celebrations that reflect the island's rich history, which includes its discovery by Spanish explorers in 1499 and its later claim by the Dutch West India Company in 1634.