Belize's Monday Holiday Tradition

In Belize, if a holiday falls on a Sunday, it is typically celebrated on the following Monday. This is in accordance with Chapter 289 of the country's laws, which also allows the government to move mid-week holidays to another day. There are 11 national holidays in Belize each year, with Easter being the biggest and celebrated over four days. Other holidays include New Year's Day, George Price Day, National Heroes and Benefactors Day, Labour Day, Emancipation Day, St. George's Caye Day, Independence Day, Garifuna Settlement Day, Christmas Day, and Boxing Day.

If a holiday falls on a Sunday, the following Monday is a holiday

In Belize, public holidays are governed by Chapter 289 of the Laws of Belize, Holiday Acts. These acts establish which days are official holidays in Belize.

Chapter 289 of the laws of Belize states that if a holiday falls on a Sunday, the following Monday is observed as a bank and public holiday. This means that if a holiday falls on a Sunday, businesses, schools, news services, banks, and government offices will be closed on the following Monday instead.

In addition, if a holiday falls on a Friday, the following Monday is also observed as a bank and public holiday. If a holiday falls on a Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday, the preceding Monday is observed as the bank and public holiday.

This ensures that everyone can benefit from observing the holiday and that employees receive a paid day off or additional pay for working on a holiday.

Some of the national holidays in Belize include New Year's Day, George Price Day, National Heroes and Benefactors Day, Labour Day, and Commonwealth Day.

Belize's 11 national holidays

Belize celebrates 11 national holidays each year. The country's public holidays are governed by the Chapter 289 Laws of Belize, Holiday Acts. The government can add or remove days, and change mid-week holidays or those falling on a Sunday to another day.

The 11 national holidays are:

• New Year's Day (1 January)
• George Price Day (15 January) — established in 2021 to commemorate Belize's only premier and first Prime Minister, George Cadle Price
• National Heroes and Benefactors Day (9 March) — originally designated "Baron Bliss Day" to honour an Englishman who left his fortune to Belize
• Good Friday
• Holy Saturday
• Easter Monday
• Labour Day (1 May) — also known as International Workers' Day
• Commonwealth Day (last Monday in May)
• Sovereign's Day (first Monday in August) — formerly honours the monarch's birthday
• St. George's Caye Day (10 September) — commemorates the battle involving British colonists, freed slaves, and pirates who fought against the Spanish Empire in 1798
• Independence Day (21 September) — commemorates Belize's independence from Great Britain in 1981
• Pan America Day (12 October) — formerly called Columbus Day
• Garifuna Settlement Day (19 November) — honours the Garifuna people, a group of mixed-race people with African and Carib roots
• Christmas Day (25 December)
• Boxing Day (26 December) — a day set aside for charitable works, although many participate in sports or shopping

Easter: a four-day celebration

Easter is the biggest holiday in Belize and is celebrated over four days, from Good Friday to Easter Monday. The Easter holiday is a mix of religious and cultural traditions, with many businesses closing for the long weekend.

Holy Thursday

On Holy Thursday, the Easter celebrations begin. Government workers are given the afternoon off to travel home for the Easter holidays. A Via Crucis procession takes place in Orange Walk as part of the Easter religious holiday.

Good Friday

Good Friday is a public holiday in Belize. Church services are held in the morning, followed by processions at around 3 pm. These processions are solemn events, with participants carrying the cross and other sacred icons through the streets of the town.

Holy Saturday

The Holy Saturday Cross Country Classic race starts in Belize City, continuing on to the Western Twin Towns of San Ignacio and Santa Elena before returning to Belize City. The race is open to cyclists from all over the world and is coordinated by the Belize Cycling Association.

Easter Sunday

Easter Sunday is a day for religious services and celebrations with family and friends.

Easter Monday

Easter Monday is also a public holiday in Belize. It is a day for rest and recovery from the Easter celebrations.

National Heroes and Benefactors Day

The day was originally designated "Baron Bliss Day", but it is now an official public holiday in Belize, with the entire country essentially coming to a standstill. Transportation services are reduced, schools are closed, news services are unavailable, and public services like banks and government offices cease operations.

The public holiday laws in Belize state that if the holiday falls on a Sunday, the following Monday is observed as the bank and public holiday. This means that National Heroes and Benefactors Day can fall on a Monday, depending on the year.

The Labour Code, Part XI, Section 117, states that all employees must receive a paid day off for nationally recognised holidays. If an employee is required to work on a day like National Heroes and Benefactors Day, they must be paid at double their hourly or daily rate.

St. George's Caye Day

The conflict between Britain and Spain over the territory, including parts of present-day Belize, dates back to the mid-1750s. The Spanish had made several attempts to expel the British settlers, known as Baymen, from the region. The Baymen were a group of British sailors and settlers who established themselves in the Belize City area in the 1650s, engaging in the lucrative logging and export of logwood, and later mahogany, back to Europe. The Spanish viewed this economic activity as an encroachment on their claimed Central American territories.

On September 10, 1798, the Spanish launched an assault on the settlement with 32 ships and over 2,000 troops, engaging the Baymen at St. George's Caye. Despite being outnumbered, the Baymen, assisted by freed slaves and pirates, emerged victorious. This decisive victory ended Spanish ambitions in the region and secured British dominance.

The day holds particular significance for Belizean historians due to the military tactics employed and the unity demonstrated by people of all races and creeds in the settlement, who fought together for a common cause. As a result of the Baymen's victory, Belize remains the only English-speaking country in Central America.

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