Danish diplomats and V.I. officials will gather Thursday on St. Croix to commemorate the 94th anniversary of Transfer Day, the date in 1917 when the territory changed from Danish to American rule.

Beginning at 10 a.m. at Lawaetz Museum in Estate Grange, Thursday’s ceremony will feature musical selections from the Santa Cruz Brass Ensemble, masqueraders and quadrille dancing by local elementary school students. Ambassador Jarl Frijs-Madsen, Consul General of Denmark in New York, will also offer remarks.

It is the 15th year the V.I. Government and St. Croix Landmarks Society have commemorated the local holiday with ceremonies at the site of the Lawaetz family home off Mahogany Road on St. Croix.

According to Gov. John deJongh Jr., a handful of people can still vividly recall the 1917 transfer of the islands and the changes that occurred as a result.

In a statement from Government House, deJongh said, “They were children at the time of the March 31st ceremony, but have the distinction of being residents of both the Danish West Indies and U.S. Virgin Islands. These individuals can ‘recall our past’ and provide insights into the developments that have occurred."

Planning has already started for an appropriate celebration for the 100th anniversary in 2017, deJongh said. "Input is welcome from those who were alive at that time, those who have charted the significant transformations to the territory since the transfer, and those with an eye on future development.”

In a Transfer Day proclamation earlier this month, deJongh said the celebration will also recognize the ancestral ties between people of the Virgin Islands and West Africa, from which many came to the region as slaves and later gained emancipation in 1848.

In his proclamation, deJongh added that the day also serves as a catalyst to foster trade, cultural exchanges, and the promotion of educational programs for youth.