It’s September-Try fi kip up
Generally, Belizeans try to get in shape for two main events- Easter weekend and Carnival Road March. The Easter weekend is about bikinis and beachwear, but Carnival Road March is bacchanal and bedazzled costumes. Workout goals leading up to Easter are all about trimming the waistline and building some muscle. Fitness preparedness for Carnival Road March is about trimming t-shirts and building some stamina that can last through several soca songs at a time. Easter means tan lines and large bodies of water to swim in. Carnival Road March includes long lines of Mas bands and spectators and large cases of bottled water to drink from. With Easter behind us, the Carnival Road March and September Celebrations season workout regimen is revving up. This year, Belize is turning 43 and the National Celebrations Calendar of Events is already in full effect. At this pivotal age, it may not be enough just to try fi kip up with Jouvert and Carnival; we should also try to keep up with the point of why we do it all. Why do we do it all?
Prior to September 21st 1981, crowds of Belizeans would gather at the Memorial Park on September 10th to listen to a National Day Address. At the time, our Premiere, George Price, would use his September speeches to encourage and push for our political independence. In September 1964, Price stated that “We are a small but a great people and we are a country with a great future” and “The Success of our National Day celebrations is due to the loyal and generous support of Belizeans …I thank one and all”. As much as it is important to keep up the exuberance and physicality of the Road March and other activities as they are now, it is more important to remember that our September Celebrations started with a single speech from a man with a great vision and hope that someday we might have more. Today, we have our independence and an entire month dedicated to celebrating it. As in previous years, August ends with two major weekend events and the first real test of endurance for the Celebrations season. The annual Sir Barry Bowen Belikin Bash opens on Friday, and on Saturday, the Carnival King and Queen Competition is held. By Sunday morning, the National Flag Raising Ceremony will officially open the month. Also, on Monday, the Carnival Mas Camp visits will start and continue throughout the week. Try fi kip up because that is just the first week in Belize City. Activities will be happening all over the country. This year, the Celebrations are taking place under the theme “A Nation Proud and Free: Belize @ 43”.
Forty-three is a good number. If Belize were a person, it would mean that we are almost middle-aged- still young enough to dance all night but old enough to know we must stay hydrated if we plan on keeping up. Like any forty-three-year-old, Belize is at a pivotal stage in its history and independence. Not quite 25 anymore but not quite 50 yet either. We might want to ask ourselves, who are we exactly? To answer that question, we could reflect on the statements made by our first Prime Minister, George Price, when we officially became the 156th member of the United Nations (UN). That day, he said, “Belize is a people with all attributes of nationhood, having one flag, one government, and one constitution” and that “Our hearts beat with social justice, and our soul cherishes treasures of the spirit.” More than four decades after our admission into the UN, we have not only maintained the spirit of those words, but we have expanded on them. The September Celebrations should be approached more as a marathon than a sprint. Even if it’s impossible to try fi kip up with the Roach March and all the activities, we need to keep up with the promise and reason we celebrate this entire month.
Chat again later.
Jasmine Anderson
For the Belize Tourism Board