What are the holidays of Cayo, Belize, including San Ignacio and Belmopan?

The holidays of Cayo are the same holidays that are celebrated in the entire country of Belize. We don’t have state holidays similar to the ones celebrated in the US. The holidays of Belize, just to name a few, are Christmas, the Garifuna Settlement Day, and Labor Day.

 

Belize has an average of 10 to 12 holidays per year. There is one huge fare that’s called the Benque Viejo Del Carmen Fiesta, which is celebrated in the westernmost town of...

The holidays of Cayo are the same holidays that are celebrated in the entire country of Belize. We don’t have state holidays similar to the ones celebrated in the US. The holidays of Belize, just to name a few, are Christmas, the Garifuna Settlement Day, and Labor Day.

 

Belize has an average of 10 to 12 holidays per year. There is one huge fare that’s called the Benque Viejo Del Carmen Fiesta, which is celebrated in the westernmost town of Belize on the border with Melchor de Mencos in Guatemala. This fiesta attracts many Belizeans in this area and even expats tend to go there to see this event. It’s a weekend event so it starts on a Thursday with the selection of a queen, which would be a young girl from the town. On Friday, the fare actually starts and gets going. 

 

We also have an Easter Fair, which tends to attract a lot of Belizeans and tourists alike. It happens in the town of San Ignacio but the location changes from year to year. At the Easter Fare, we have many mechanical rides. We also have cycling competitions. There are food stalls where you could find many local dishes such as rice and beans, the local barbecue, and even game meat, which a lot of Belizeans and expats enjoy. One of them is the “Royal Rat,” which is actually an animal called a gibnut. The reason we call it a Royal Rat is because this is what Queen Elizabeth ate when she first came to Belize. We also have wild deer and we eat hickatee, which is a turtle. We also eat iguana and the iguana egg. Those are very popular around Easter. You have to get proper licenses in order to hunt the animals that provide some of these meats. You also need to get proper license if you are going to sell them.  

 

(The royal rat, or the gubnut or paca as relished in Belize, pictured.)

Belize has 15 paid holidays.  Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year's Day, Baron Bliss Day, Good Friday, Holy Saturday, Easter, Easter Monday, Labour Day, Commonwealth Day, St George's Caye Day, Independence Day, Day of the Americas, and Garifuna Settlement Day.

 

They just added a new holiday last year called George Price Holiday.   The biggest complaint of expats about these holidays is that every time there is a holiday, the school will take...

Belize has 15 paid holidays.  Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year's Day, Baron Bliss Day, Good Friday, Holy Saturday, Easter, Easter Monday, Labour Day, Commonwealth Day, St George's Caye Day, Independence Day, Day of the Americas, and Garifuna Settlement Day.

 

They just added a new holiday last year called George Price Holiday.   The biggest complaint of expats about these holidays is that every time there is a holiday, the school will take the kids on a field trip or they will do a parade downtown instead of having the kids in school and learning. Education here is very expensive for the locals and if they have many children then some of them will be left out.  This is where some of the expats can help by sponsoring a child’s education either independently or through an organization like the Rotarians. 

 

(Pictured: former Belizean Prime Minister George C Price and Peace Corps Volunteer)