September Celebrations in Belize

While September is historically the apex of the Hurricane/Rainy Season in Belize, it is also party time for many Belizeans, as two very important holidays fall in this month: St. George’s Caye Day and Independence Day.

While the national holidays may show up for only two days on the official calendar, in fact, September Celebrations in Belize span the entire month. This means that it can be nearly impossible to conduct business with many government offices during September, as there are parties, events, and barbeques held in both small villages and larger towns, throughout the entire month.

Let’s take a look at the history of the two Belizean national holidays which fall in September and how these holidays have led to party time with the September Celebrations in Belize.

What is St. George’s Caye Day in Belize?

St. George’s Caye Day is officially celebrated on September 10th in Belize; however, the holiday commemorates a series of military engagements which took place between September 3rd to September 10th, 1798.

Prior to the military engagement in 1798, the British and Spanish had been actively contesting each other for control of what is modern-day Belize since the 1750s, and there had been treaties and other agreements signed even earlier.

The battles took place between a Spanish-backed force, which came down to what is present-day Belize from Mexico, and a small force of wood cutters/lumber merchants who were called Baymen. The Baymen were fighting the invading Spanish force to protect their livelihood, and they were joined in the fighting by freed black slaves and a small group of British troops.

Because the Baymen were originally British, and they were harvesting mahogany, which was very valuable for the ship building industry, the British wanted to retain the settlement in Belize, so the British navy dispatched three ships from Jamaica to assist the Baymen.

What happened at the battle of St. George’s Caye?

The Spanish force, which was sent to invade Belize and put down the Baymen, consisted of some 35 vessels, many of which were warships, along with 2,500 soldiers and sailors, while the Baymen, along with a group of freed black slaves, a few pirates, and the small British force which was sent from Jamaica, included 13 vessels and around 700 fighters.

The Baymen and their allies were far outnumbered; however, the battle concluded with an attempt by the Spanish ships to force their way into St George’s Caye in order to reach land and seize the colony. They failed, despite the fact that the highly-trained Spanish professionals were fighting a rather ragtag assortment on the side of the British Baymen. After this great defeat, the Spanish never made another serious attempt to conquer Belize again.

The Baymen were fighting side-by-side with freed African slaves and pirates, along with the British ships that had been sent by England from Jamaica to help protect the settlement. During the Battle of St George’s Caye, Belize’s ethnically diverse population came together to defend their homeland, and to the present day, this theme of unity continues to be a major part of both Saint George’s Caye Day and all of the September celebrations in Belize.

Belize Independence Day

Along with St George’s Caye Day, the September celebrations in Belize also commemorate Belize Independence Day, which is September 21st.

On September 21, 1981, Belize, which was the only British colony in Central America, became an independent nation. For many years, modern-day Belize was referred to as British Honduras, as it was officially termed by the British as the Colony of British Honduras in 1862.

Internal Self-Government was granted to Belize in January 1964, and the official name of the territory was changed from British Honduras to Belize in June 1973, and full independence was granted on 21 September 1981.

Of course, the British and the Spanish were not the only parties interested in Belize over the years, as one can see from the many Mayan ruins in Belize. At one time, Maya territory in Belize supported an estimated population of 1 to 2 million people with large cities such as Xunatunich, Caracol, and Lamanai. With these large Mayan population centers, it is believed that Belize was the home of some of the earliest Mayan settlements.

Even today, the largest ethnic group in Belize, at around 53% of Belizeans, are Mestizo, which are people of mixed Spanish and Mayan descent. From the time of the band of misfits, woodcutters, pirates, and freed slaves who fought off the superior forces of the Spanish at the Battle of St George’s Caye, to the present day, Belize has been an ethnically and racially diverse culture, and even the flag of Belize celebrates this diversity, so it should be no surprise that this mixture of cultures also pours over into the September celebrations in Belize.

What takes place during the September celebrations in Belize

Traditionally, the month of September kicked off with Sir Barry Bowen’s Belikin Beer Bash, a free party thrown by the maker of the “beers of Belize.” Historically, the party included food, music, and, of course, lots of beer, and it was held at BTL Park in Belize City over the first three days of September, a great way to kick off a month of celebrations and partying in Belize!

Since the end of the Covid pandemic, however, the dates have been a bit more flexible, with Sir Barry’s Beer Bash occurring in late August, getting a jump start on the rest of the September celebrations in Belize.

What are J’ouvert and Carnival?

The largest J’ouvert celebration occurs in Belize City, but San Pedro also hosts a J’ouvert party. For J’ouvert, a crowd of more than 1,000 people gather in Belize City well before sunrise to dance through the streets and to be covered in paint, powder, and even chocolate!

J’ouvert is the early morning start of Carnival Day, which includes an elaborate road march in the afternoon. Belize’s Carnival Day is similar to the celebrations in other Caribbean and Latin American countries, as brightly-costumed, well-rehearsed, and precisely choreographed bands and groups of dancers march through the streets and perform for thousands of spectators, all competing for the title of King and Queen of Carnival. In Belize, J’ouvert and Carnival are scheduled to coincide with the St George’s Caye Day celebration.

Carnival in Belize also celebrates the country’s African and indigenous Mayan traditions and practices, putting the country’s diverse arts and culture on full display. There are folks in traditional dress, as well as many dance groups performing the dances of their African and Mayan ancestors.

St George’s Caye Day celebration

On September 10th, a national holiday, radio stations play patriotic Belizean songs, people display the Belize flag on their homes, cars, golf carts, and bicycles. And there are often gatherings at town squares with flag-raising ceremonies, public dances, and other activities, and many families have picnics to celebrate the holiday.

The J’ouvert celebration described above is also part of the St George’s Caye Day celebration, and other festivities include official ceremonies, fireworks, and cultural presentations, along with the colorful carnival parades, with floats depicting the national symbols of Belize. Most of the festivities and parades occur on September 10th all across the country.

Belize Independence Day celebration

While Carnival does not continue all month, the party spirit seems to continue from St George’s Caye Day until Independence Day on September 21st. As the finale of the September celebrations in Belize, the Independence Day festivities include more marches, parades, music, and of course, costumes in Belizean colours: red, white and blue!

Each year, there is a new theme or motto for Belizean Independence Day, which is supposed to be the basis for the celebrations. There is contest with entries from Belizean citizens for the contest each year.

In 2023, the winning theme was “Hope Ignited, Hands United, Vision Renewed: Belize@42!” And in 2024, the theme that was chosen was: “A Nation Proud and Free: Belize @ 43.”

For Independence Day marches and parades, there are people wearing elaborate traditional costumes, but most Belizeans celebrating the holiday will wear red, white, and blue, the colors of the Belizean flag.

For both J’ouvert and Independence Day celebrations, you will hear a lot of Soca music, which is a genre of music that draws from African and East Indian rhythms. While Soca originated in Trinidad and Tobago in the early 1970s, it has since spread to Belize, becoming an important part of the country’s modern culture, along with reggae and dancehall music.

With all of the street marches, parades, dances, and music, starting with Carnival and St George’s Caye Day, and winding up with Belize Independence Day, it does feel like the entire month is dedicated to September celebrations in Belize!

Final thoughts on the September Celebrations in Belize

I’ve lived here for several years now, so I was aware that the September celebrations in Belize translated into a nearly month-long, country-wide party of sorts. However, I didn’t really understand exactly how and why the holidays were being celebrated, and this led me to decide to write this article.

While living in San Pedro, it was obvious that September was party time, as the Town Council there in recent years has become a major concert promoter of sorts, organizing large events at the Saca Chispas Field on the south end of the town center area, so for J’ouvert, the council has been hosting huge late-night festivals at the venue.

Even with all of the talk of festivals, parades, beer bashes, and parties, for me, the most interesting aspect of the September celebrations in Belize is the history of the military engagements celebrated on St Georges Caye Day.

When reading about the battles fought between the Spanish invasion force and the mixed-up group of fighters who were supporting the Baymen, I can’t help but see the diversity of ethnic groups, cultures, languages, and traditions which make up the population of this beautiful, small, quirky country.

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