Belize at 25

Today is the 25th anniversary of the Belizeans’ independence from Britain. It is incredible to see the energy that fills the town. They have been working to decorate the town since I arrived here, over a month ago. There are flags and banners hanging from every store front. Schools practice from the first day of classes working on their presentation and their marching skills. The people are proud- proud of their freedom and proud of their country.

Last night there was a parade, and the streets were filled with Belizeans celebrating. Erica and I walked around for quite a while, visiting the street side vendors and mingling with the locals. It is a neat feeling to feel apart of their celebration. I felt as proud of Belize as I do my own country. Then they had a firework show last night at midnight. Erica and I watched it from our front porch, as we live just a block or two away from where they were shooting them off. The little kids on our street were squealing at the launch of each firework…

This morning we were up early to gather at the civic center for marching. We have spent many an afternoon at school working on our marching skills. We learned the commands and how to stand at attention. It is not something taken lightly here at all. Each homeroom class at the high school was responsible for making their own banner to carry as well. My kids and I worked on our banner on Monday and painted a Toucan, which is the national bird, as well as “A Nation Alive, A People with Pride, Belize at 25,” which is the slogan this year for Independence Day. The kids were so excited about marching, even though it was over 100 degrees outside. They were all in uniform, neat and crisp. There are no hats allowed in the parade and no water bottles as well, so we were all left to the scorching heat. We marched for over 2 ½ hours through the town of Corozal and down by the bay. There were six different schools marching as well as the leaders of the town council and the military. The streets were lined with people cheering, screaming and waving flags. The students marched proudly holding their banner high. We even had some Cornerstone boys playing the drums. They were amazing considering they had only one day of practice.

We all survived the march and the heat- no one fainted! It really did make me proud to be here and proud to be apart of this country- in the small way that I am. It was encouraging to see the whole community pull together and celebrate this huge event in Belize history. They are truly a nation alive!