September in December

This month’s post will focus a little more specifically on my travels and local interactions.  I’ve been in Belize for a few months now and had the pleasure of being a part of some fun traditions and celebrations.  I’ve even successfully made some tortillas – still not well enough that anyone from Belize would be proud to admit they made them, but well enough that my host mom was proud of me, and sometimes that’s just good enough. 

As you may or may not have noticed, I tend to delay my posts a little.  This month is no exception.  I do this for many reasons, but just a heads up this whole post will be about events that took place in Belize this past September. 

September celebrations are a string of well observed holidays here in Belize.  The one I was most involved with was Independence Day which occurs on the 21^st of September.  The days surrounding the holiday have local parades in which kids decorate their bikes, and even the preschool makes floats to parade through town.  There are fireworks, and there’s food and general jubilation.  The culmination of the festivities is a parade in each of the regional town centers, the biggest and most famous of which happens in Orange Walk Town. 

There are floats and spectacles involving the whole family.  From children who are part of the drum squads, police cadet force, and a program called GREAT, which I imagine is something like the anti-drug campaign DARE in the United States in the 90s, only more focused on gangs than drugs, to adults passing out adult beverages (more on that in a bit).

Here is a video of a particularly energetic and talented youth:

It might be because of our position at the end of the parade route, but there also seemed to be a very wide range of enthusiasm for their part in this spectacle.

Alcohol also plays a big part in the celebrations.  Right at the beginning of the parade, before any of the floats had come through, what I assume were either members of the Belizean Defense Force or Customs officials walked the parade route.

The area is close enough to Mexico that contraband is a problem for the local authorities.  The officials surveyed the crowds and when they saw a group with Mexican beer still in the original containers, they dumped all of it ….

… all that was visible.

Beyond the contraband though, there were many floats which were sponsored by local brewers and distillers.  Many of them even passed out drinks to the crowd as they rode by:

Belikin – arguably the most well known Belizean beer – not only sponsored a float, but they even had the forethought to provide a porta-potty for the revelers on the float.  #thoughtful

Caribbean Rum was a little more low key.  Instead of going all out with a big float, enormous speakers and a DJ, they focused on what they know.  A vat of rum and two guys to hand out drinks was enough to keep the crowd happy.

You needn’t worry though.  The floats that followed provided plenty of beats.  New Wave Soundz packed so many speakers on their float that their DJ had to duck under the parade banner which was hung 3 stories off the ground.

It was a beautiful display of sounds and colors and I look forward to going again next year and seeing what new attractions they can provide.  Bring on year 37!