Belize Independence Day, September 21

Congratulations to Belize! Thirty-two years of independence. This is a very young country with an incredible spirit. The village of Placencia celebrated with a  number of events, parties, two parades and a grand fishing tournament. I was surprised to hear that a business provided the gas for the boats entered in the deep fishing event.

I decided to go to see the parade and I needed to purchase a BIG fan, to battle the heat. The first fan I purchased has already crapped out. My day did not go exactly as planned, but then it rarely does. The parade was to start at 1pm. I wanted to see the parade, come home to feed the dogs, and then go back to see the fish that the boats brought in and join the party.

Well, the parade didn't reach where I was till 4 pm, but I had been socializing and meeting new folks in the Pickled Parrot most of the day. The  parade was short but in the heat and distance they walked, danced, rode and drove, it  was commendable! The effort that went into the costumes for the kids was also commendable.
 
 
 

 

I am sorry I missed the J'ouvert at 5 am yesterday morning, but will definitely check it out next year, now that I know what it is. The J'ouvert is a Caribbean celebration where participants smear mud, oil, paint or any other sticky substance like pudding or honey with flour thrown on their bodies. They then dance through the streets before the break of dawn behind either a band or big truck with huge speakers, with a DJ.


I guarantee, no one sleeps in in Placencia and apparently the participants sprayed on-lookers with chocolate pudding and mud. At the end of the parade, the dirty people ran to the sea to wash off with an amazing sunrise in the background.  I was told that most of the celebrants had been up all night. I have borrowed this photo with approval from the  photographer who captured the event.

 

I did a little more research to find that the J'ouvert origins lay with the celebrations coinciding with the emancipation of slavery in 1838. There is a J'ouvert in Toronto as part of Caribana but it has been highly commercialized taking place in a ticketed outdoor venue.
 
 
 
 
 
I will try to get into the village this afternoon and get some pictures of the fish caught in the second day of the tournament.

* edited..I didn't do the math property. Belize got it's independence in 1981 so is 32 years old.