Tomorrow is the 162nd anniversary of the abolition of slavery by the Kingdom of the Netherlands in its then colonial empire. This meant the end of imprisonment for the enslaved in the colony of Suriname and 'Curaçao en subjects' (Curaçao, Aruba, Bonaire, Saba, St-Eustatius, and St-Maarten): they were now suddenly free Dutch nationals with Dutch citizenship. This is commemorated annually in Suriname as Keti Koti (Sranangonto for 'the necklaces are broken'), in Curaçao, Aruba, Bonaire, Saba, St-Eustatius and St-Maarten this is celebrated as Dia Di Abolishon (Papiamento for 'Day of Abolition') or Emancipation Day, as in the rest of the Caribbean where English is the official language. It was a turning point in history in which the former enslaved, and from then on their descendants, were able to go their own way and integrate into society with equal rights (although racial discrimination has in practice remained a consequence of the past of slavery). 

Note: although slavery on paper was abolished in 1863, the enslaved in Suriname had to work for ten years on the plantations under a kind of "state supervision", until 1873. Therefore, it is also said that actual freedom only began 152 years ago (in 2025).