Belize's Holy Week Celebrations

Belize is a small country with a rich history and diverse cultural traditions, and its people have plenty to celebrate. With a mixture of Mayan, Catholic, and Caribbean culture, Belize has a busy calendar of holidays and festivals.

The majority of Belizeans are Roman Catholic, so Easter is a significant event. Good Friday is a quiet day where most locals attend all-day church ceremonies or view re-enactments of the Passion of the Christ. On Holy Saturday, the annual Holy Saturday Cross Country Classic Race takes place, with fairs and dances to follow. Easter Sunday features masses and family gatherings, followed by football games, horse races and local fairs that carry on through Easter Monday.

Easter celebrations

Easter is one of the biggest and longest public holidays in Belize, with festivities lasting four days, from Good Friday to Easter Monday. The country is predominantly Christian, with over 80% of the population reporting Christianity as their religion, and the majority of those being Roman Catholics.

Holy Thursday

The Easter celebrations in Belize begin on Holy Thursday, when government workers are given the afternoon off to travel home for the Easter holidays. Holy Thursday is also when the faithful start work on the famed Alfombras De Acerrin.

Good Friday

Good Friday is a solemn day in Belize, filled with religious processions and family time. People either stay home or go to church, observing the day when Jesus Christ was crucified. Religious programs are broadcast on TV and radio, including live coverage of the Pope's Good Friday Message and the procession around Rome's Colosseum. It is traditional not to eat meat other than fish on this day, and hot cross buns are consumed instead. Swimming is also avoided. Many people opt out of using any technology on Good Friday, refraining from using TVs (unless watching Passion of the Christ), cell phones, and travelling. The aim is for Christians to focus on the reminder that Jesus was crucified on this day and to spend time with their loved ones.

Holy Saturday

Holy Saturday is marked by the annual Holy Saturday Cross Country Cycle Race, a gruelling 140-mile race from Belize City to San Ignacio-Santa Elena and back. The race causes the country to shut down for most of the day, and it is followed by fairs and dances in most municipalities.

Easter Sunday

Easter Sunday is observed with mass celebrating the Resurrection of Christ and families getting together for meals or picnics. In the afternoons, many towns hold football games and fairs. People also go to the rivers, waterfalls, and the Caribbean Sea to swim.

Easter Monday

On Easter Monday, there are still a few fairs being held throughout the country, and almost all municipal towns host fairs and afternoon dances to close off the long weekend.

Christmas and Boxing Day

On Christmas Eve, Belizeans celebrate with loud music and firecrackers. Families gather for a feast that includes a bone-in ham leg, rice and beans, potato salad, tamales, and rompopo (eggnog spiked with rum). After dinner, the elderly attend Midnight Mass while the children stay home to watch Christmas movies and light firecrackers.

On Christmas Day, children play with their presents while adults drink, listen to music, and play card games or dominoes. Families visit each other, play music on the streets, exchange gifts, and party. The Garifuna people usually reserve Christmas afternoon for their traditional Wanaragua celebration.

Boxing Day falls on the day after Christmas, 26 December. It originated in Great Britain and is celebrated in many former British colonies. The holiday traditionally included giving money and other gifts to those in need or in service positions. In Belize, Boxing Day is an opportunity to recover from Christmas celebrations or extend the festivities. Many Belizeans head to the racetracks for a day of cheering and drinking. The biggest horse racing event takes place in Burrell Boom, near Belize City.

Baron Bliss Day

Henry Edward Ernest Victor Bliss was born in 1869 in Buckinghamshire, England, and lived an adventurous life. He was an engineer by trade and became paralysed from the waist down at the age of 42, likely due to polio. Despite this, he remained active and pursued his passion for sailing and fishing. After retiring, he spent his time sailing around the British Honduras (now Belize) and fell in love with the country. He never set foot on land but was so impressed with the beauty and hospitality of Belize that he decided to leave the bulk of his fortune to the colony.

At the time of his death, Baron Bliss's bequest to Belize was valued at around one million, eight hundred and fifty thousand dollars. His will included specific instructions on how the money was to be used for the benefit of the citizens. The funds have contributed to various projects, including the construction of local libraries, schools, health clinics, markets, and the Belize City water supply system. One of the more peculiar conditions in his will was that no American may be a trustee or an employee of a trustee, although no explanation was given for this stipulation.

The Baron Bliss Day celebrations include a regatta, following the instructions in his will to set aside funds for an annual boat race. The focus of the day in Belize City is this regatta, while other towns celebrate with small boat races and parties.

St George's Caye Day

St. George's Caye Day is a significant religious holiday in Belize, observed annually on September 10th. The day commemorates a pivotal battle in 1798, where British settlers, buccaneers, and slaves united to defeat Spanish forces, preventing their occupation of Belize. This victory holds immense importance as it secured Belize's status as the only English-speaking country in Central America.

The history of St. George's Caye Day dates back to the 16th century when the Spanish sought to control the Yucatan coast, which encompasses present-day Belize. While the Spanish never permanently settled due to hostile indigenous resistance and a lack of natural resources, they continued to vie for dominance in the region. In the mid-1700s, the Spanish made repeated attempts to expel British colonists, known as "Baymen," who had established themselves in the Belize City area, engaging in the lucrative timber industry.

The Battle of St. George's Caye, lasting from September 3rd to 10th, 1798, marked the final Spanish attempt to seize control of Belize. The Spanish navy, consisting of 32 ships and over 2,000 troops, clashed with the Baymen and their allies at St. George's Caye. Despite being outnumbered, the Baymen, settlers, and slaves emerged victorious, showcasing their courage and military prowess.

St. George's Caye Day is celebrated with various festivities, including official ceremonies, fireworks, cultural presentations, and a colourful carnival parade. The day holds deep significance for Belizeans, as it represents the unity and determination of people of all races and backgrounds to defend their homeland. The battle is also commemorated through songs, poems, and wreath-laying ceremonies, honouring those who fought for Belize's freedom.

St. George's Caye Day is closely followed by Independence Day on September 21st, marking Belize's independence from Britain in 1981. The entire month of September is known as "The September Celebrations," filled with flag-waving, patriotic decorations, parades, singing, dancing, and feasts of local cuisine. It is a time when Belizeans come together to honour their country's history and cultural heritage.

Garifuna Settlement Day

The Garifuna's settlement in Belize is said to have begun when two Spanish ships carrying West Africans destined for North America were wrecked near St Vincent in the West Indies in around 1635. Over the next 150 years, the settlers intermarried, and the Garifuna ethnic group was formed. In 1798, some of the Garifuna population were exiled to the island of Roatan, off the coast of Honduras. From there, they migrated to the mainland and settled along the Caribbean coast of Belize (then British Honduras), as well as in Guatemala and Nicaragua.

According to legend, the first Garifuna arrived in Belize on 19 November 1802. This important day in their history is marked by celebrations throughout the country, especially in the town of Dangriga, where the first Garifuna people landed. The celebrations include parades, street music, drumming, dancing, prayers, and traditional Garifuna food. The first landing of the Garifuna is reenacted with boats coming ashore carrying cassava sticks, plantain suckers, and sugarcane, representing the food the Garifuna people brought with them. Traditional Garifuna dishes such as serre (fish boiled in coconut milk), hudut (mashed plantain), and cassava served in various forms are also a significant part of the festivities.

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