LIVING IN BELIZE – “The 4th of What?”– 7/4/12

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I honestly woke up today and completely forgot what day it is.  Obviously, in Belize, we don’t celebrate the 4th of July.  It’s just any other day here, with people going to work, banks open, and government offices operating just like usual.  But in the U.S., most of my friends and family have the day off.  My step-daughter actually got a five-day weekend (lucky her-nice boss!!).

I have often posted on my Facebook page asking my followers, “How would you feel if the holidays you are used to no longer exist in your new country?”  This question assumes you have relocated to a new country, of course.  But even if you haven’t, it’s interesting to stop a moment and think about the answer to that question.

Most of the U.S.’s federal holidays are not recognized here in Belize, such as Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Memorial or Veteran’s Day, Washington or President’s Day (as it’s now called), along with the 4th of July or Columbus Day.  While you may find different variations of Thanksgiving Day dinner served in Belize for the tourists and expats, you certainly won’t find any Belizean celebrating that holiday with the “intent” is was created for.  And you definitely won’t find any Belizeans celebrating the every four year Inauguration Day!

Now Belize’s religious, traditional, and informal holidays are actually very much the same as I was used to in the States. They love Valentine’s Day here; you can find green beer on St. Patrick’s Day; Easter and Good Friday are taken quite seriously in this very religious society; Cinco de Mayo is a big deal; Mother’s and Father’s Day are celebrated, although sometimes on different days than in the States; Halloween is one of the biggest parties going; and of course, they celebrate Christmas and New Year’s Eve.

So if you were to move to Belize, some of the holidays you’ve become accustomed to would be gone, but at least not all of them would be.  I never stayed out late and watched the fireworks on the 4th back home in the States anyway, so I don’t think I’m going to miss much today at all. But a day off would have been nice….

Which holiday do you think you would miss the most if you moved to another country and it wasn’t celebrated? 

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  • http://profiles.google.com/emilys7 Emily Smith

    I forgot too! I was reminded by the guy who rakes our beach when I took Paisley out for her 7 am walk. D’oh! And of course, when I got on Facebook, there it was everywhere. I was just barely awake and hadn’t had my coffee yet. :-)

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=638747676 Sandy Baum Azancot

    the holidays I like are celebrated in Belize pretty much (Halloween, new Years Eve). I heard there was a party at Lost Reef today (resort at the north end of the Placencia Penninsula), but there are a lot of expats in that area (including our area).

  • Paul McKay

    I’ve gathered in researching and talking to Anerican and Belizean clergy down there that they take Easter and the Holy Days very serious and as clergy myself I can only wish Christians here took it as seriously and devoutly, not that I want EAster or any other Christian holiday pushed off on people who are not Christian or even on non-believers. American version of Christmas is so off-putting and off the mark to me now, though–and especially with trumped up “war on Christmas” culture wars where people get rabid over “Happy Holidays” instead of Merry Christmas, that I spent last holidays with no TV, no internet, Facebook or anything else so I could spend Christmas in the proper spiritual spirit with friends and fam and not get as stressed as everybody else about it all. And anyway, since I specialize in pastoral caregiving and grief counseling, Christmas here keeps me busy taking care of all these depressed Americans who fall short of the Hallmark Christmas we’ve been sold into thinking we must have to be adequate people at Christmastime. Christianity has really gotten twisted here in the greatest of nations that I’ll always love, warts and all. But hard for me to take the mad consumerism and commercialism, and especially at Christmas. Will be interesting to experience religious holidays there and I look forward to experiencing however they do Christian faith in Belize.

  • desertmanfred

    As a single retired man with no family nearby, I don’t give much thought to Federal holidays. Everyday is a holiday to me, whether I’m in the USA or somewhere else.

    It’s not that I don’t know about them; who can miss the Christmas ads on TV starting right after Halloween! But, even those ads don’t influence me; I will have already done my Christmas shopping online in July.

  • http://www.wealthships.com Sharon Hiebing

    Well even though I know you’d never move, you’d be a perfect candidate for living abroad, since you wouldn’t miss much, lol! Xmas shopping done in July?? You are far too organized!

  • http://www.wealthships.com Sharon Hiebing

    I 100% agree with you, Paul, and felt largely the same was as you when I left the States. Last year at Xmas time, I facebooked about how nice it is to say “Happy Holidays” here in Belize and not feel guilty. You’ll love Xmas here – they haven’t forgotten the meaning at all.

  • http://www.wealthships.com Sharon Hiebing

    That brings up a good point, Sandy. If you have a group of expats, you can always create your own celebrations of the holidays back home. Hell, you could probably invite a Belizean or two as well – they always love a good party, lol!

  • http://www.wealthships.com Sharon Hiebing

    Ha, ha, Emily! that’s funny that a Belizean remembered before you did. Cute story…