The 209th. anniversary of the Tenth of September passed yesterday. It's been observed for about 100 of those years. And while it's popularity had declined in the late 90's - the tenth has been making a quiet comeback. Last year, an impressive jump up crowd followed the march. Would the same happen this year? Our cameras were there to find out.
Jules Vasquez Reporting,
It was a day that started with ceremony and ended with bacchanal.
[Crowning of Queen of the Bay]
And from ceremony to speeches, the keynote speakers tried to unravel the reality and the relevance of the meaning of the tenth. First up was Mayor Zenaida Moya, who in a billowing breeze, it seemed, shouted more than spoke.
Zenaida Moya, Mayor of Belize City
"The battle did occur and will forever detail the facts outlining this battle as the single greatest event in the history of Belize. In the midst of all the celebrations, let us not forget that we are still in a battle for Belize and let us stand firm and vote to stay and fight as they did in 1798. Let us be firm in our minds that we are celebrating 209 years of identity and history. And let us recognize that this is enough to be proud and happy about. 209 ago the threat of invaders hung over the heads of our forefathers. Today we are independent, strong, and free."
Hon. Godfrey Smith, Chairman of Sept. Celebrations Committee
"The Battle of St. George's Caye means different things to different people. For some it is the fountain head of Belizean patriotism. For others it represents the conquest of one set of colonizers over another. And for others it is in true Caribbean spirit, an occasion to freely submit to the rites and rituals of Bacchus. But regardless of our particular perspectives on the tenth, we can and should find a common unifying factor from the Battle of St. George's Caye. We, the Belizean descendants, can with a sense of occasion lay down our many and varied instruments of discord and celebrate the unalterable fact of
nation hood - a Belize independent, strong and free - Belize fi all a we."
And from staid speeches to the celebration in the streets where the tenth is always about children with flags, horns, drums, marching bands, trick bikes, a sidestepping horse, many UDP politicians in red, the "L and POB", dancing in the street, waving queens, men hanging from speakers, and the reckless abandon of jump up.
