BLOG OF BELIZE

  Belizes population is mostly of Afro-American and mixed-race origin,and only 10% of its population is of Maya origin. Its main indigenous group is the Mopan Maya,although there is a small Yukateka Maya population to the north and a growing K ekchi Maya population in the southern region of Belize until the day of today. His ancestral agricultural and forestry practices constitute a model for the sustainable development of the region. The community of San Pedro Columbia has a K ekchi population,where textiles and other local crafts are produced. In the area of Placencia,Punta Gorda and the place known as "Indian creek". There are also handicrafts in the form of replicas of pre-hispanic slate sculptures,masks and other wooden objects,textiles,jipijapa baskets and seed necklaces,clay beads,shells and various minerals. The southern region of the country is also a major producer of cocoa,which is why  various products are produced in the present. By: Donovan Hazael Ramirez Medina...

  Meat pies: These delicious meatloaves could not be missing if we are talking about typical Belizean food. They have the shape of a traditional American pie,however,when you try it,you will that is typical food from Belize. Inside its seasoned with paprika,sweet peppers,onions,black pepper,tomato and on several occasions habanero chili. Fry jacks: You definitely cant miss the fry jack,which is a fried bread. When frying,the bread begins to swell,and in the void that remains in the middle you put ham,cheese,or whatever typical Belizean food you are eating. Yes, the fry Jack can be understood as a companion to other meals, although due to its delicious flavor,for many its the protagonist. Cohune Cabbage: You cannot leave Belize without trying this dish. If you are a fa of cabbage,you will love this dish,and if you are not,we are sure that it will change your opinion about it. The dish seasons the cabbage with vegetable oil,black pepper,onions,ginger,cumin,oregano,garlic and salt. By...

  Chicken soup: We cannot begin to talk about typical belizean food without including the delicious Belizean chicken soup. This is not just any bland chicken soup,the flavors jump on the palate telling the story of the place. First,we feel the coconut milk,a clear Caribbean influence. Its texture almost caresses the palate. Second,we have a strong presence of red peppers,clearly mexican influence.  Bundiga: If what you want is Caribbean food,and of the best quality,within the typical food of Belize,you will love the Bundiga. Banana,fish and coconut,which will make you feel in the center of the Caribbean and its history. The truth is that this food originates from the mestizo group called Garifunas,and was inherited by them from Belizeans. Hudut soup: Would it seem strange to you if you were served a soup with a whole fish in it,which also seems to want to get out of the plate?. Well,this is the case of the hudut soup,quite an experience!. This dish is also an inheritance from ...

  Chicken Stew: The perfect side dish for rice and beans,chicken stew is another ubiquitous dish that comes to the table in endless subtle variations. At its best,its a sublime mix of spices and melt in your mouth tender chicken,and at its worst its not bad at all. Served with rice and beans and a dollop of Belizean potato salad,stewed chicken(and its stewed cousins pork and beef) is a filling and flavorful meal any time of day. Tamarindo Candy: These delicious sweets are known locally as tambran sweet,which are sweet and sour balls made from the tamarind fruit,when in season. Once shelled and free of fibers,the pulp is mixed,rolled and covered with sugar to form candy balls. Its one of the most delicious candies of Belize. Fudge: The fudge of Belize is a simple square dark brown,melt in your mouth,hard candy type of fudge. The uniqueness of this easy-to-make confection is that it is made with sweetened condensed milk,unlike typical "dulce de leche" recipes that are chocolate...

 Intenational Costa Maya(San Pedro): One of Belizes events not to be missed, the International Costa Maya is a week-long celebration. Its purpose is to promote the culture of the Mayan world,with the participation of artists and many guests from Central America and Mexico. Of its many activities,the most popular is the beauty contest to name the Queen of the Mayan world. Deer Dance Festival(San Antonio): If you are looking for a traditional experience,the Deer Dance Festival is one of the best events in Belize. In it,a traditional dance is performed in which the hunting of a hundred deer is imitated,followed by a challenge in which the locals must climb a greased pole.It takes place in August. Garifuna Settlement Day: Celebrating the arrival of this special ethnic group from the Caribbean to the southern coast of Belize in 1832,this annual event takes place only in Belizes southern cities,such as Punta Gordo,on November 19th,and is a great opportunity to see more of this important ...

 Lobster festival (various parts of the country): Of all the events in Belize,this is undoubtedly the most delicious. It takes place in different areas of the country in June and July,such as San Pedro,Placencia and Caye Caulker. It consists of a series of lobster-focused food events accompanied by music(usually reggae),dancing,cocktails,and family activities.  Belize film festival(Belize City): Held since 2003, the Belize International Film Festival is one of the most important in Central America. It focuses on Caribbean and Latin America cinema,although it also includes works from around the world. For example,in the 2018 edition,it featured films,documentaries,short films,and music videos from 21 countries.  Independence day: The Belizean Independence celebration consists of a series of parades,processions,concerts,street dancing and other entertaining activities. This celebration takes place on September 21st. At the same time,on the days around independence,the expo ...

Garifuna music: The Garifuna(also called Garinagu) are descendants of escaped island Caribs who were deported from Saint Vincent to Central America(especially Honduras and also Belize) in 1802 by the british when they conquered Saint Vincent. The Garifuna stood apart from the then dominant social system. Garifuna folk music and dance forms encompass many styles including: punta,hungu-hungu,combination,wanaragua,abaimahani,matamuerte,laremuna,wadaguman,gunjai,charikanari,sambai,arumahani,punta rock,etc.. Punta and Punta rock are the most popular forms of dance music in Garifuna culture. Punta is performed on holidays and at parties and other social events. Puntas lyrics are usually composed of women. Chumba and Hungu-Hungu are round dances in a three-beat rhytm,often combined with punta There are other typical songs of each genre,women with eremwu eu and  abaimajani,a capella rhythmic songs and laremuna wadaguman, mens work songs. By: Donovan Hazael Ramirez Medina.  

3.- Belize has more than 400 islands: Belize has more than 400 islands,including atolls. They are called keys,and some of them are located 20 minutes from the mainland and provide good diving and snorkeling. The most visited keys are: Ambergris Caye and Caye Caulker or also called Hicaco. 4.- Belize is the only country in the world to preserve the jaguar: It is the only country in the world that has a natural area for the protection of the jaguar. The Nature Reserve is called Cocksomb Wildlife Sanctuary and Jaguar Preserve and is located in southern Belize. The funny thing is that is practically impossible to see a jaguar. 5.- One of the most scandalous animals in the world lives in Belize: The Guatemalan black howler monkey lives in Belize,Guatemala,and Mexico. In Belize it is known as "baboon" although it has nothing to do with the baboons of Africa. In Mexico its in danger of extinction and in Belize it can be seen at the Community Baboon Sanctuary. By: Donovan Hazael Rami...

 1.- Belize is a paradise for divers: Belize is one of the top 10 dive destinations in the world. It has the second largest coral reef in the world,after the Australian one and the famous Blue Hole,a round hole in the middle of the sea,124 meters deep. The first to dive inside it was Jack Costeau,who included it in 1971 in the list of the best places in the world to dive.  2.- In Belize there are around 900 mayan ruins: The land that today belongs to Belize was part of the mayan territory that originated in the Yucatan Peninsula 2600 years BC. Numerous Mayan cities were built,of which their ruins remain today. The most impressive are: Altun Ha, where they were inspired to make the Belizean banknotes  and the bottle of national beer;Belikin. Xunantunich: A mayan ceremonial center where discoveries are being made with excavations. Caracol:Its the the largest settlement and is surrounded by jungle,84km from San Ignacio. Caves have been discovered in Belize with objects,altar...

  And finally we have only 2 traditions left: Christmas tree lighting: The lighting of the christmas tree has been an annual tradition in Belize city,where everyone gathered in Battlefield Park to witness the mayor officially light the tall christmas tree at the start of the Belizean holiday season. But in the present the occasion has moved to Mule Park. Midnight mass: With a large part of the population belonging to the christian faith,the midnight mass is an integral part of Belizean culture. Everyone puts on their best clothes and heads to their church to celebrate the birth of Jesus with joyous songs and prayers to bring in Christmas morning.  Among all Belizeans,Christmas is a time to clean and decorate the house. In preparation for expected or unexpected family and friends,the house is cleaned,new curtains are hung,and Christmas decorations are lit. By: Donovan Hazael Ramirez Medina. 

 Other tradition on Christmas is this: Christmas dinner: One of the main elements that can make or break Christmas anywhere is the food and Belize is no exception. The sweets are usually made days in advance so that the delicious Belizean rum is potent in fruit cakes and rum poo. Christmas day meal prep begins on Christmas Eve,and the big meal consists of rice and beans,potato salad,turkey,breadcrumbs,cherry blueberry jam,and ham garnished with pineapple. Mestizos often celebrate Christmas with white chicken stuffed with stuffed pork and grilled olives served with warm corn tortillas. Most mayans celebrate with chicken tamales as their traditional meal.   In my opinion I think these dishes would be nice to taste because I really like the food that has meat in it. I think that the dish I would like to taste first would be ham garnished with pineapple and later would be white chicken stuffed with stuffed pork and grilled olives served with warm corn tortillas. By: Donovan H...

Now Im going to talk about other traditions of Belize such as the next: "Las posadas": Las posadas are celebrated in Benque Viejo del Carmen,Cayo and begin on December 16. This nine-day tradition includes prayers,music,song,dance,and food.The celebration begins when the saints(usually statues of Mary and Joseph) are led out of the church through a procession of marimba music,candlelight,and fireworks to a preselected home.  Once the statues are welcomed inside the house, a novena(prayer) is made. Every night after the novena,a light snack is served and then the statues are left with the host family and for the night the participants leave. The procession and the novena take place again the following days before christmas day.  As you can see, Las posadas of Belize are also very different of other posadas of other countries and I think one of the things that I find interesting is that these posadas have many activities that the people can do in these nine days and other thing ...

 Now its the time to talk about the "Garifuna" culture. This lively culture is rich in celebrations and during the christmas season the "Cha-Ri-Ka-Na-Ri"(Two-foot-cow) dance is a prime example of this. The CHARIKANARI or also known as "two foot cow" is a fun dance involving a man dressed in a cow-shaped face with a larger-than-life rare end added on to emphasize the dancing movements. Its a mocking dance of the past slave owners attire and mannerisms as they dance throughout the streets. The movements follow a story format where the cow first enters the scene declaring his presence followed by dancing.  He periodically intimidates the audience by aggressively approaching them then retreating back into dance. This group affair features the traditional drumming of the Garifuna and can be seen throughout the country. If you see a group of dancers call upon them to perform for you;you can then offer water or other nourishments as they continue their journey. B...

"Sambai " is a fertility dance that has african roots. Done during christmas,the Creole culture also involves the participation of a man and a woman in a courtship. The music is created particularly with the traditional african fertility instrument Goombay(gumbeh). This is a celebration dance which also involves older members of the community(except children). The fertility aspect of this coincides with both the full moon and the harvesting of crops.  I personally believe that is very interesting the way that the people of Belize celebrates the christmas because is a completely different way from other countries like mine (Mexico). And I also think that it would be so cool if I could see this type of Christmas of the contry of Belize. Other thing that I would like to talk are the dances of the Creole culture which I think are a very important part of this culture and its impressive the way that these dances are things that has an important culture impact on the people of Beli...

Hi, Im going to talk about the christmas of the country of Belize. In Belize there is a celebration for almost every season and Christmas is no exception. Now done mostly only in Gales Point Manatee, Belize District, the Creole "Bram and Brokdong" and "Sambai" are two examples of the many Belize Creole Christmas traditions.  "Bramming" is the Creole cultural form of dancing done in collaboration with the "Brokdong" music which entails the towns participation and is dependent on a lively music created with numerous musical instruments. These musical range from a fork and grater, a shaker( maraca),gombay(two-sided) drum,harmonica and an accordion to list a few. It starts from one end of the town/village with residents offering the dancing crow food,dronks in large amounts,throughout this feast the dancing continues and the celebration mood is enjoyed by all. This usually ends with the crowd extremely full from the numerous food and drinks consumed....