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| New Years Day - January 1 |
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| Valentine's Day - February 14 |
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May
Labour Day-May 1
Commonwealth Day- May 24
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| in
Belize, Central America |
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| http://www.belizenet.com/calendar.html |
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| Baron
Bliss Day - March 9 |
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| La
Ruta Maya Belize River Challenge cross country canoe
race on the Belize River from San Ignacio, Cayo to
Belize City. This is the big river sport activity
of the year and the longest canoe race in Central
America! |
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If you
come to Belize in September you are
caught in a whirlwind called the September
Celebrations. It starts in the beginning
of the month and has two climaxes:
Sept. 10 and Sept. 21. The
month is filled with street parties,
dances, parades, talent shows, races
and any other possible ways to celebrate!
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| Sept.
10th the streets come alive with live
music and over 1500 masqueraders! |
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In 1763, the Treaty
of Paris gave the British rights to
cut and export logwood, but Spain claimed
sovereignty over what is now known as
Belize. Throughout the next 35
years the struggle continued between
the two countries over the ownership
of the land. On Sept. 10, 1798
the Spanish attacked St. George's Caye
for the second time. The Spanish
forces were strong, but the Baymen were
more familiar with the coastal waters.
This time, with the help of their
African slaves, an armed sloop, and
three companies of a West Indian Regiment,
the British side won what became known
as the Battle of St. George's Caye.
The Spanish reteated and never
again tried to control Belize. |
|
A
History of Belize,
Nation
in the Making.
Published
by Cubola Productions
in
Benque Viejo del Carmen
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The entire country is decorated with
banners and flags and streamers and
everyone bleaches (stays up all
night) on the 9th and 20th to
bring in the holidays. Stores are all
closed. It's party time in Belize! |
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| Sept.
21st is filled with parades and festivities
throughout the country. The colors of
the flag are red, white and blue. The
colors of the two political parties
are UDP red and PUP blue. |
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A long history of
resistance to oppression characterizes
the road leading to Sept. 21, 1981,
when Belize (formerly British Honduras)
gained independence.The colonialism
suffered by Belize was effective because
it was subtle, instilling in the colonized
people a sense of inferiority and dependence,
promoting disunity among the people
and providing a justification of itself
that many of the colonized accepted
as true. The victory of independence
belongs to each and eery Belizean through
this history who, in no matter how small
a way, demonstrated by his action his
conviction that nothing is moe abhorrent
than slavery in any form, and nothing
is more precious than freedom and independence.
The struggle continues. |
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| Independence
Booklet, Sept. 1981, Government of
Belize |
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| Pan American Day- October 12 |
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| Garifuna
Settlement Day- November 19 |
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| Christmas
Day- December 25 |
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