Belize's Christmas Traditions And Celebrations

Belize is a great place to spend Christmas, with its warm weather and unique blend of local traditions and cultural flair. The Christmas season in Belize is celebrated throughout the month of December, with families coming together to clean and decorate their homes, and the streets coming alive with parades, parties, and concerts. The Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony marks the official start of the season, with the lighting of a tall Christmas tree in Mule Park.

Belize is known for its multicultural demographic, and this diversity is reflected in the various Christmas traditions celebrated across the country. While some Belizeans celebrate Christmas the American way, others keep local traditions alive, such as the Christmas Bram, a celebration native to the Belize Kriol culture, similar to caroling, and the Garifuna Jankunu and Charikanari dances, where masked and costumed dancers parade the streets.

Christmas in Belize is also a time for feasting on traditional foods, including turkey, ham, rice and beans, potato salad, and black fruitcake. For many, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day are spent relaxing at home with family, while New Year's Eve and New Year's Day are when most Belizeans go out dancing.

Christmas celebrations in Belize

Christmas in Belize is a unique and festive affair, with celebrations lasting throughout the month of December. With its multicultural demographic, Belize offers a diverse range of traditions and activities that blend local customs with a distinct Caribbean flair. Here is an overview of Christmas celebrations in this vibrant country.

Pre-Christmas Celebrations

In the weeks leading up to Christmas, Belize comes alive with festive cheer. The Christmas season officially kicks off with the annual Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony, where a tall tree is lit up in Mule Park, previously held in Battlefield Park. This marks the beginning of various Christmas-themed events, including countdowns, parades, holiday concerts, and downtown shops blasting Christmas songs.

One unique pre-Christmas tradition is the Christmas Bram, native to the Belize Kriol culture. Similar to caroling, people dance through the streets, singing and playing Brukdong music as they spread cheer from house to house. This tradition is still strongly upheld in villages like Gales Point Manatee.

Another pre-Christmas custom is Las Posadas, celebrated by the Mestizo people. Beginning on December 16, this nine-day tradition involves processions, music, songs, dances, and food. Statues of Mary and Joseph are taken from the church, accompanied by marimba music, candles, and fire displays, as they make their way to a preselected home. Once welcomed inside, prayers are offered, refreshments are shared, and the statues remain with the host family for the night.

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day

On Christmas Eve, Belizeans blast lively music and set off firecrackers. Families gather for a feast that typically includes a bone-in ham leg, rice and beans, potato salad, tamales, and rompopo (eggnog spiked with rum). After dinner, the adults head to Midnight Mass, a significant part of Belizean culture, while the children stay up to watch Christmas movies and light firecrackers.

Christmas Day is spent relaxing with loved ones. Children play with their presents, and adults gather to drink, listen to music, and play card games or dominoes. The same delicious feast is usually enjoyed again for lunch and dinner, and in the evening, young Belizeans often go out to bars and nightclubs to continue the celebrations.

Post-Christmas Festivities

The day after Christmas, known as Boxing Day, is also a holiday in Belize. Many Belizeans head to the racetracks for a day of cheering and drinking. The largest horse racing event takes place in Burrell Boom, near Belize City.

New Year's Eve and New Year's Day are when most Belizeans go out dancing, as Christmas Eve and Christmas Day are typically spent at home with family. Bars and nightclubs become popular destinations to bring in the New Year with excitement and joy.

Traditional Christmas Foods

Belizean cuisine takes centre stage during the Christmas celebrations. In addition to traditional turkey and holiday trimmings, local specialties are enjoyed. These include white relleno (a soup with pork-stuffed chicken and raisins), pebre (roasted pork and gravy), ham with pickled onions and jalapeños, and chicken tamales. Rum-infused treats, such as fruit cakes and rum popo, are also prepared days in advance to ensure a potent and festive flavour.

Cultural Dances and Parades

Christmas is a time when local Garifuna communities take to the streets to showcase their vibrant culture through traditional dances. The Jankunu dance features masked and costumed dancers parading through the streets and visiting homes, accompanied by the rhythmic beats of traditional drummers. The dancers wear white shirts and pants with shell belts and pink masks bearing European features, imitating the slave masters. This dance is particularly popular in Dangriga, where a competition is held after Christmas between senior Jankunu dancers from southern Belize.

Another dance, the Charikanari, is a dramatization of a hunting scene. Dancers wear cowhead attire with real horns and a wire screen mask, and boys and men dress as women.

Around Christmas, boat parades can be seen on Ambergris Caye and in Placencia, and the annual Love FM Christmas Parade takes place in downtown San Pedro.

Traditional Christmas food

Christmas in Belize is a time for families to come together and celebrate with delicious food, music, and dance. While many Belizeans celebrate Christmas with the usual traditions like decorating a tree and waiting for Santa Claus, there are several unique Christmas food traditions that are native to the country.

Belize is known for its multicultural demographic, and its diversity is reflected in the variety of Christmas dishes enjoyed by its people. The Christmas season in Belize is a month-long celebration, with government offices, banks, and most businesses shutting down for the week surrounding Christmas Day. Families come together to clean and decorate their homes, often hanging new curtains and putting up Christmas decorations.

One of the most important elements of Christmas in Belize is the food. Traditional Christmas foods in Belize include turkey with all the trimmings, such as rice and beans, potato salad, cranberry jelly, and ham garnished with pineapple. Belizeans also enjoy local specialties during the Christmas season, such as white relleno (a soup with pork-stuffed chicken and raisins), pebre (roasted pork and gravy), and tamales.

For those with a sweet tooth, Belize has its own version of eggnog called Rumpopo, which is a popular drink during the Christmas season. Belizeans also indulge in delicious black fruitcake, infused with rum and caramel colouring, and loaded with prunes, raisins, pecans, cherries, and dates. This fruitcake is aged for a week, making it a true Christmas delicacy.

In addition to these traditional Christmas foods, Belizeans also enjoy a variety of seafood, grilled meats, and tropical fruits during the holiday season. Belize's diverse cultural influences, including Creole, Maya, and Garifuna, as well as African, Chinese, and Indian cuisines, come together to create a unique and mouth-watering Christmas feast.

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day activities

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in Belize are full of festivities, food, and family time. Here are some activities and traditions that take place during these special days:

Christmas Eve

On Christmas Eve, Belizeans blast lively music from their homes and set off firecrackers. The downtown areas are bustling during the day as people run last-minute errands and buy gifts. Families come together for a feast, which typically includes a bone-in ham leg, rice and beans, potato salad, tamales, and rompopo (a rum-spiked eggnog). After dinner, the adults head to Midnight Mass while the children stay up late, watching Christmas movies and lighting firecrackers.

Christmas Day

Christmas Day is a time to relax and spend quality time with family and friends. Children play with their new presents while adults gather to drink, listen to music, and play card games or dominoes. The same delicious feast from the night before is usually enjoyed again for lunch or dinner, as plenty of food is always prepared. In the evening, young Belizeans often go out with friends to bars and nightclubs.

The Garifuna people have a unique Christmas afternoon tradition called the Wanaragua or Jankunu Dance. This dance involves costumes that imitate the slave masters, with white long-sleeved shirts and pants, shell belts tied around the knees, and pink masks bearing European features. The dance became a Christmas tradition as it was the only time families were free to gather and make fun of their European slave masters.

Christmas Bram

Christmas Bram is a celebration native to the Belize Kriol culture, specifically from the old city of Belize and surrounding villages. It is similar to caroling, with people dancing through the streets, singing, and playing Brukdong music as they spread cheer from house to house. While it is not as widely celebrated in Belize City today, villages like Gales Point Manatee and Wales Point Manatee continue this tradition annually.

Boxing Day and New Year's Eve celebrations

Boxing Day in Belize is a public holiday celebrated on the 26th of December, the second day of Christmastide. It originated in Great Britain and is observed in several countries that were once part of the British Empire. The name and tradition of Boxing Day are derived from the centuries-old practice of the upper classes giving boxes of food, fruit, money, or durable goods to their servants, tradespeople, and those of lower social status. While the exact customs surrounding the day have evolved, Boxing Day continues to be a time for Belizeans to extend their Christmas celebrations, spend time with family and friends, and participate in various cultural activities.

On Boxing Day, Belizeans may attend the John Canoe Festival, also known as the Habinahan Wanaragua Jankunu Festival, held in Dangriga a day or two after Christmas. This festival features traditional Garifuna dances, including the Wanaragua or Jankunu dance, where dancers wear white shirts and pants with shells tied around their knees and pink masks depicting European features, mocking their former slave masters. Boxing Day is also a time for horse racing and other Garifuna dances, such as the Deer Dance Festival in the Toledo District, which includes costumed dancers portraying a jaguar, a hunter, and deer.

Boxing Day is also a time for Belizeans to recover from Christmas celebrations and spend time with loved ones. While some businesses remain closed, tourists can still enjoy various activities, including water sports and exploring Maya ruins. The days leading up to New Year's Eve are filled with music, dancing, and parties as Belizeans ring in the new year with enthusiasm and joy.

New Year's Eve in Belize is a vibrant celebration marked by music, dancing, and festivities. As the clock counts down to midnight, Belizeans gather with family and friends to bid farewell to the passing year and welcome the new one with hope and excitement. The streets come alive with the sound of Brukdown music, a unique genre that blends African and European influences, reflecting the diverse cultural heritage of the country.

As the new year approaches, Belizeans unite in a spirit of celebration, counting down the seconds until the clock strikes twelve. At the stroke of midnight, the air fills with the joyful sound of fireworks, lighting up the night sky and signalling the start of a new year. Belizeans exchange warm wishes and embrace the new beginning, creating memories with their loved ones. The festivities continue into the early hours of the morning, with music, dancing, and merriment filling the air.

Christmas in Belize vs. the US

Christmas in Belize is a unique experience. While many Belizeans celebrate in the American way, with a focus on decorating a tree and waiting for Santa Claus, there are many local traditions that are kept alive. Belize is known for its multicultural demographic, and its diversity is reflected in the Christmas celebrations.

In Belize, Christmas is celebrated throughout the month of December, with the Christmas season officially kicking off after the Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony. During the weeks leading up to Christmas, families flock to the city centre to take advantage of Christmas deals on new trees, decorations, linoleum, and curtains to prepare their homes for the holiday.

Belizeans spend quality time with family and friends during the Christmas season. Government offices, banks, and most non-tourism-oriented businesses shut down for the week surrounding Christmas Day. The days leading up to Christmas are filled with festive events such as countdowns, tree lightings, parades, holiday concerts, and downtown shops blasting Christmas songs. There are also several pre-Christmas traditions based on the various ethnic groups in Belize. For example, Creole people celebrate Christmas Bram (similar to caroling), while the Mestizo celebrate Las Posadas, and the Maya celebrate the Maya Deer Dance.

Traditional Christmas foods are an important part of the celebrations in Belize. These include turkey with all the trimmings, as well as local specialties such as rice and beans, potato salad, black fruitcake, white relleno (a soup with pork-stuffed chicken and raisins), pebre (roasted pork and gravy), ham with pickled onions and jalapeños, and tamales. Rum popo, the Belizean version of eggnog, is also a popular drink during the holidays.

Christmas Day is spent relaxing with family and friends. Adults gather to drink, listen to music, and play card games or dominoes, while children play with their presents. In the evening, young Belizeans often go out with friends to bars and nightclubs. The Garifuna people normally reserve Christmas afternoon for their traditional Wanaragua or Jankunu celebration, which includes a dance with costumes and masks imitating their former slave masters.

In contrast, Christmas in the US is heavily influenced by commercialism and has a more standardized set of traditions. While there are regional variations, Christmas in the US often involves decorating trees, exchanging gifts, and gathering with family and friends. Santa Claus and his elves are prominent figures, and children look forward to receiving presents from Santa on Christmas morning. Traditional Christmas foods in the US can vary but often include dishes such as roast turkey or ham, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, and various desserts such as cookies and fruitcake.

Christmas in the US is also a time for giving and charity. Many people donate to toy drives and food banks to help those in need. It is also common for people to attend religious services, whether they are Christian or not, as the holiday has both religious and secular significance.

Overall, Christmas in Belize offers a unique blend of local traditions and cultural influences, creating a memorable experience that differs from the more commercialized and standardized celebrations in the US.

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