The celebrations month continued this weekend with the tenth of September, the day written in history as the Battle of St George's Caye. It's taught to every Belizean school child as the day when the Baymen fought back the Spaniards, even while being extremely outnumbered. But it holds significance to those most patriotic because it is also the day when the settlers chose to stay and fight for what would eventually become the country of Belize.
And like even pre-pandemic tenth of September, it was observed with a ceremony and the annual Citizens Parade. But this year, it was made even more critical because of the juncture the country now stands after the death of Queen Elizabeth II - a juncture that Minister Francis Fonseca highlighted in his speech.
Courtney Menzies has a recap of the festivities. Here is that story.
The 224th anniversary of the Battle of St George's Caye had a rainy start, but after the clouds parted, the official ceremony proceeded just as it did pre-pandemic - with the arrival of the Belize City mayor, the leader of the opposition, the new Chief Justice, the prime minister and finally, the governor general.
After the arrivals, and the welcome remarks, the Minister of Education, Culture, Science and Technology, Francis Fonseca, gave his address. He remarked on the need for Belize to be fully free of all colonial shackles, even the ones enshrined in our history.
Hon. Francis Fonseca, Minister of Education, Culture, Science, and Technology
"Belize's society is a beautifully intricately woven tapestry of cultural diversity. We must work to protect and preserve that history and culture where it is worthy of protection and preservation. This means that we must be willing to question and challenge cultural and historic norms which have been passed on to us by colonizers. In the words of Fanon, imperialism leaves behind germs of rot which we must clinically detect and remove from our land and from our mind as well. Sometimes people hold a core belief that is very strong, when they are presented with evidence that works against that belief, the new evidence cannot be accept. It would create a feeling that is extremely uncomfortable called, cognitive dissonance. Because it is so important to protect the core belief, they will rationalize, ignore, and even deny anything that doesn't fit in with the core belief. On days like today, we must be willing to ask ourselves, who are we as a people, what is our purpose as a nation? When will we truly rid ourselves of the shackles of oppression and colonialism? Where are we headed? And how can we all come together despite any social, economical, political, and cultural divisions?"
Following the address was the crowning of the new Queen of the Bay. The former Queen, Druewel Jones, passed the crown to Maslin Hanson, who then took up the mantle and her place on the throne.
And though the PM had to rush out a bit early, the rest of the celebration continued as Belizeans, in their reds whites and blues, marched through the streets of the city in the annual Citizens Parade.
At the front of the crowd was the Leader of the Opposition, Shyne Barrow, and retired politician, Michael Finnegan, wasn't far behind, sitting on a throne of plastic chairs.
And of course, former minister, Anthony "Boots" Martinez, was also alongside the other Belizean who waved their flags high and marched proudly in this grand show of patriotism.
