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Christmas Traditions in Belize

Belize is known for its multicultural demographic and its diversity really shines through during the Christmas time. The Christmas season in Belize is typically celebrated during the entire month of December after the Christmas Tree Lighting which marks the opening of the season. During the weeks leading to Christmas, families normally flock to the city center (mainly Albert Street) to take advantage of all the Christmas deals for new Christmas trees, decorations, marley (linoleum) for the floor and curtains to prepare the house for Christmas Day.

While many Belizeans celebrate Christmas the American way of simply decorating a tree and waiting on Santa Claus with the kids, lots of other local traditions are still being kept alive. Here are some Christmas traditions in Belize that make celebrating here a unique experience.

Christmas Bram

The Christmas Bram is a celebration with roots in the Belize district specifically in old Belize City and the surrounding villages and it is native to the Belize Kriol culture. The Bram is similar to “caroling”, where people make their way through the streets singing and playing Brukdong music while dancing from house to house to spread the good cheer. Though not celebrated as much in present-day Belize City, villages like Gales Point Manatee partake in the Christmas Bram every year, and some local influencers like Adonna Thompson document it all on their social media accounts.

Garifuna Jankunu Dance

In Dangriga, Christmas afternoon is normally reserved for Wanaragua or Jankunu. The Jankunu dancers get dressed in white long sleeved shirts and pants with belts of shells tied around their knees and pink masks bearing European features. These costumes are made to imitate the slave masters. The dance became common during the Christmas time because it was the only time that the families had free to come together and make fun of their European slave masters. Now, days after Christmas, there is a Jankunu competition in Dangriga which is a competition between the senior Jankunu dancers of Southern Belize – namely Dangriga and Seine Bight.

Maya Deer Dance

This dance is popular in the Santa Cruz area and is performed by 24 dancers dressed in colorful costumes. These dancers include a jaguar, a joker, a man dressed as an old woman, a man dressed as a maiden, a hunter, 2 dogs, some soldiers and 6 deer. The Deer Dance tells the story of a maiden being kidnapped by the jaguar who is then pursued by the hunter. While this is happening, the two dogs will chase the deer as the joker makes fun of everyone.

Las Posadas

Las Posadas is celebrated in Benque Viejo del Carmen, Cayo and begins on December 16th. This nine-day tradition involves prayers, music, songs, dances and food. The celebration begins when the Santos (saints – normally statues of Mary and Joseph) are taken from the Church through a procession of marimba music, candles and fire displays leading to a preselected home. When the procession reaches the home, they find the doors locked and through songs and music the participants reenact Mary’s and Joseph’s request for lodging while on their journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem. Once the statues are welcomed inside the home, a novena (prayers) takes place. Every night after the novena, light refreshments are served then the statues are left with the host family for the night when the participants leave. The procession and novena takes place again the following days leading to Christmas Day.

Christmas Dinner

One of the main elements that can make or break Christmas anywhere is the food and Belize is no exception. The treats are normally prepared days in advance so that delicious Belizean rum is potent in the fruit cakes and rum popo. Food preparations for Christmas day begin from Christmas Eve, and the grand meal consists of rice and beans, potato salad, turkey, breadcrumb stuffing, cranberry jelly with cherry and pineapple embellished ham. Mestizo’s usually celebrate Christmas with white relleno consisting of chicken with stuffed pork and mechado olives served with hot corn tortillas. Majority of Mayans celebrate with chicken tamales as their traditional meal.

Christmas Tree Lighting

The Christmas tree lighting has been an annual tradition in Belize City where everyone would gather at the Battlefield Park to witness the Mayor lighting the tall Christmas tree officially kicking off the Christmas season in Belize. Now, the occasion has moved to Mule Park.

Midnight Mass

With a large portion of the population belonging to the Christian faith, midnight mass is an integral part of the Belizean culture. Everyone puts on their finest outfit and heads out to their church to celebrate the birth of Jesus with joyful singing and prayers to bring in Christmas morning.

What other Christmas traditions does your family celebrate?

20 songs to Get You in the Christmas Spirit

As we reflect on yet another year and it slowly sinks in that Christmas is here! What better way to set the mood for any occasion than with music? That’s why we’ve compiled a list of our top 20 favorite Caribbean Christmas songs.

These jingling, heart-warming hits are sure to get you in the mood. Get into the Christmas spirit and wrap up your decorating and preparations to our Christmas playlist compiled especially for you!

What song gets you in the Christmas spirit?

MyBelize Christmas Playlist

  1. Drink A Rum On Christmas Mawnin
  2. Good Mawnin Miss Lady
  3. Old Time Christmas
  4. Belizean Christmas
  5. I’m Gettin’ Nuttin For Christmas
  6. Soca Christmas Medley
  7. Oh Christmas
  8. Navidad
  9. Red Plastic Bag
  10. His Name is Jesus
  11. Caribbean Parang
  12. Calypso Noel
  13. Go Tell it on the Mountain
  14. Put Jesus in your Christmas
  15. It’s Christmas Again
  16. Happy Birthday Jesus
  17. Christmas Soca Party Medley
  18. Soca Santa
  19. Drink ah Rum on a Christmas Maanin
  20. Freetown Gial

Belizean Fruit Cake & Rum Popo Recipe

Some of the most important elements in a Belizean Christmas are the Black Fruit Cake and Rum Popo. These yummy treats probably rank as high Santa and Rudolph the red nose reindeer for Belieans on their “My Christmas isn’t complete without …” list. We want to make sure that your Christmas brings lots of joy, gifts and delicious food! So enjoy these recipes for Black Fruit Cake and Rum Popo.

How to make Belizean Black Fruit Cake

Black Fruit Cake
Source:villageviewpost.com

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb. butter
  • 1 pt. stout
  • 1 qt. rum
  • 2 lbs. flour
  • 1 tsp. allspice
  • 3 lbs. brown sugar
  • 1 lb. of each fruit

o   Raisins

o   Prunes

o   Currants

o   Dates

o   Cherries

o   Pecans

  • ½ pt. caramel coloring
  • 8 eggs
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • 1 tsp. nutmeg

Directions:

Stew all the fruit with 1 lb. brown sugar and rum. Cook the mixture until the liquid becomes thick syrup. Let the fruits cool overnight.

In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter along with 2 lbs. brown sugar and add in eggs one at time. Then add flour, baking powder, all spice, stout and caramel coloring one at a time to the mixture. Lastly, fold the stewed fruit to the mixture. To avoid having the stewed fruit sink to the bottom of the mixture, drain them, mix with 1 beaten egg and dredge in flour before adding it to the batter.

Now, line your cake pans with parchment paper and fill about ¾ ways with the batter. Bake at 270˚F for about 3 hours.

How to make Belizean Rum Popo (Eggnog)

Belize Rum Popo

Ingredients:

  • 9 Eggs
  • 4 Nutmegs (Grated)
  • 1 Oz Cinnamon Stick
  • 1 Pint Colorless Rum
  • 5 Tins Large Evaporated Milk
  • 3 Tins Condensed Milk (Or to taste)
  • ½ Lb. Raisins

Directions:

Beforehand, soak cinnamon stick and raisins in rum for 2 days.

Beat eggs well (15-20 minutes removing beater and rinsing in clean water several times to remove strings or eye of egg). Next, add evaporated milk & beat again.  Add condensed milk and check for desired sweetness. Then add grated nutmeg & rum that was used for soaking (be sure to strain before using). Blend the mixture again and store in clean dry bottles.

Store the final product in the refrigerator. Shake well before serving. Enjoy!

Revised Hours for Lottery Draws

Please note that under the new regulations established by the Minister of Health and Wellness, Hon. Michel Chebat, effective Monday, December 21, 2020 lottery draws will be played as follows:

Boledo, Pick 3 – 6:30 p.m.

Fantasy-5 – 6:30 p.m. Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays

The Sunday lottery will be played at 10:00 a.m. as normal.

Players can call +501-223-1219 with all queries regarding the lottery draws and we encourage you to continue utilizing MyBelize.Net for updates.

Boledo | Pick 3 | Fantasy 5 | Lottery

Thank you for your support and wish you best of luck in the games!

On my mother, Zee Edgell

Written by Holly Edgell for Holly World

My mother passed away this morning before the sun rose. I was asleep in the room next door. Her overnight caregiver woke me around 5 a.m. As many will tell you of loved ones who died quietly in their own beds, my mother looked like she was simply asleep when I saw her.

Zee Edgell, 80, did not die of COVID-19. We as a family worked hard to keep that scourge at bay as my mother battled a fairly acute form of leukemia — and her immune system was pretty much shot. Chemo was not ultimately not effective. My heart started to break nearly a year ago, when we learned of her diagnosis and prognosis.

For the past month or so, my mother was comfortable at home with family and hired caregivers. She ate what she wanted, drank as much coffee as she wanted, enjoyed Italian ices as much as she wanted and watched (a lot) of news on her favorite cable networks. She also kept up with the Belize news through Facebook. She read magazines and books.

COVID-19 meant that the Edgells of St. Louis spent a lot more time than usual together. My mother’s grandchildren were able to be around a lot more often, starting in the late spring. Just a few days ago the three took turns reading to their “Grandma Zee” one afternoon. She had several visits from her siblings in 2020 and a beloved niece came to stay as well. There was lots of love and laughter, in spite of everything — including the loss of my father, Al Edgell, in May.

I will write more about my mother as my beloved mom soon, but I did also want to acknowledge all the love and good wishes pouring out for my mother as beloved Belizean author and patriot. Facebook is great for this! All the messages make me feel as if the world has its arms around our family.

Here are some facts even many Belizeans may not know about my amazing mother, who loved her family and her country. You’ll see below the names of her siblings, who have lost their amazing big sister:

Zee Edgell — nee Zelma Inez Tucker

  • Born Oct. 21, 1940 on Cleghorn Street, Belize City, British Honduras
    • Died December 20, 2020 | St. Louis, Missouri, USA 
  • Parents: Veronica O. Tucker (nee Walker) and Clive A. Tucker, both deceased
  • Siblings: Chauncey Barrington “Barry” Tucker; Laura Tucker-Longsworth; Martha Tucker- Eiley, Monica Tucker, Ava Tucker; Alexander “Zandy” Tucker (deceased); Clive A. Tucker, Jr. (deceased); Lenton Tucker (deceased) 
  • Attended Holy Redeemer Primary School and St. Catherine Academy (SCA)
  • Higher education:
    • Honorary doctorate in literature, the University of the West Indies at Cave Hill, Barbados, 2009 
    • Master of Liberal Studies degree, Kent State University, 2005
    • Diploma in journalism from Regent Street Polytechnic (now the University of Westminster), 1965 
  • Taught at SCA twice, 1966-68 and 1980-81
  • Worked as a trainee reporter at “The Daily Gleaner” in Kingston, Jamaica in the late 1950s starting at age 18
  • Founded “The Reporter” newspaper, Belize City, 1967
  • Served as director of the Belize Womens’ Bureau (Women’s Dept.), 1981-82 and 1986-87 
  • Made a Member of the British Empire (MBE), 2007
  • Author:
    • Beka Lamb (1982)
    • In Times Like These (1991) 
    • The Festival of San Joaquin (1997)
    • Time and the River (2007)
  • Lecturer, University College of Belize (now the University of Belize), 1988-89
  • Professor of English (tenured), Kent State University (1992-2009)
  • Married to Alvin G. Edgell, 1968-2020 (deceased May 2020, see obituary)
  • Mother of Holly Edgell, 51, and Randall Edgell, 45
  • Grandmother of three: Isaac Edgell, 17; Sophia Edgell, 16; Simon Edgell, 12

Additional resources: 

Zee Edgell’s website

Scholarly works about Zee Edgell 

Zee Edgell reading from her work

Zee Edgell Wikipedia entry

What Are the Safest Online Brokers Available in Belize

Numerous people are now into online trading because this is considered one of the most viable means to earn decent revenue from your investment. Even the people in Belize already leverage online trading brokers to invest their money in an attempt to generate positive revenue. This article delves into the safest online brokers in this Central American country.

Pocket Option

Pocket Option is not only one of the safest online brokers available in Belize, but it is one of the ideal binary options trading platforms for beginners as well. It is regulated by the International Financial Market Relations Regulation Center (IFMRRC), which ensures the quality of the service it delivers to its clientele. For this reason, Pocket Option garners a high rating when it comes to security, as well as funding and fees.

When you explore reviews of online brokers, there is a great chance for you to find numerous positive Pocket Option feedback. In this case, you can check this post by Trusted Broker Reviews, where this broker is given a 4.5-star rating and overall positive feedback. This is attributed to the fact that it has numerous beneficial features such as a 70-95% ROI probability. It also has extensive asset coverage, and it supports mobile trading. Perhaps the only flaw that you will be able to notice with this broker is that its customer service is not always exceptional.

Expert Option

Another safe online broker available in Belize is the Expert Option. Like Pocket Option, it is also regulated by IFMRRC. But in addition to this, it also holds certificates from the Vanuatu Financial Services Commission (VFSC), the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (MiFID), as well as the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC) even if it was only founded in 2014. Because of this, it has a five-star rating when it comes to safety and security.

Apart from security, Expert Options is also highly rated when it comes to its mobile trading and customer support, as well as trading experience. For a minimum deposit of $10, you can already begin trading. The lowest spreads offered in this platform is 0.5 pips on currencies, while the maximum leverage is 1:500. Expert Option is available in Android, iOS, Windows, and Mac OS.

IQ Option

IQ Option is an online broker that is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). Apart from this, it is also certified by MiFID and CySEC. For this reason, it usually garners a five-star rating for security on various review sites. Founded a year early compared to Expert Option, it is remarkable that its trading experience is highly rated as well.

Like with Expert Option, for a minimum deposit of $10, you can already begin trading using this platform. Even beginners find the use of IQ Option splendid, which is why it often receives a five-star rating in user experience. The great thing about this platform is that it is available in various operating systems, which is why it also has a high rating in mobile trading. It also has positive feedback when it comes to asset coverage, as well as funding and fees.

Binomo

A demo account is provided in Binomo, and mobile trading is also supported. It is regulated by FMRRC and CySEC, which is why you will have no doubts about leveraging any of the payment methods they provide. Overall, they have a five-star rating when it comes to security, trading experience, as well as mobile trading. They also have a high rating when it comes to funding and fees, as well as asset coverage.

Like with the rest of the brokers on this list, you can also begin trading in Binomo with a minimum deposit of $10 in your account. You need to spend about $1 for every trade that you make. Rest assured that you will be able to intuitively find your way through the platform because of its easy-to-use interface. Perhaps the only drawback of this is that it may prove to be too simple for advanced traders.

The online brokers listed above are only some of the safest online brokers that you will be able to access if you are located in Belize. Rest assured that there are several other online brokers that you can explore to familiarize yourself with other features that may not be available to the rest. Just keep in mind that the safety and security of your money should still be your priority in trading or investing online to ensure that you will be able to enjoy the fruits of your investment later on.

Lottery Update

Effective Monday, December 14, 2020, until December 31, 2020, Pick-3 will have a second draw for straight tickets only. Winners will receive $60.00 for every winning ticket.

Effective Tuesday, December 15, 2020, until December 31, 2020, Fantasy-5 will have a second draw immediately following the regular draws. Winners of the second draw matching all five numbers will win $10,000.

Players can call +501-223-1219 with all queries regarding the lottery draws and we encourage you to continue utilizing MyBelize.Net for updates.

APPRAISING YOUR BELIZE PROPERTY

If you’re thinking of selling your property, it may take a little more than choosing a real estate agent to take a few pictures and get your property listed on a website. Some sellers choose a selling price based on what is owed to the bank or whatever they believe someone would be willing to pay, but there’s more that goes into finding the right price for your property in Belize. Matus Real Estate Ltd. offers FREE PROPERTY VALUATIONS when you enter into an exclusive listing agreement with us!

WHY GET A PROPERTY VALUATION?

Property valuations help to ensure that your Belize property is actually worth the listed sale price. A thorough property valuation is supported by current market values and compares what similar properties have sold for in the area. Property valuations depend on several factors like the type of property you’re selling, location, or the amount of equity in your property. They provide an estimate of your property’s value based on a detailed inspection and whether it includes buildings and chattels.

WHEN TO GET AN APPRAISAL?

It is always wise to get a property appraisal done before you finalize your decision to sell your Belize real estate. This will allow you to make an informed decision in regard to pricing. While cost and price can affect your property’s value, it does not determine the actual value, so it is always wise to request a professional property valuation.

HOW TO GET A PROPERTY APPRAISAL IN BELIZE?

An accurate property valuation can help to seal the deal in any property sale. Since no two properties are alike, it is best to leave your property valuation to the expert eye. The experienced team at Matus Real Estate Ltd. will help to get your property valuation done the right way. Call them at +501-615-5886 to arrange your free consultation today!

Remembering Andy Palacio

Today would have been the 60th birthday of Belize’s musical legend – Andy Palacio.

Andy Palacio put Belize on the map and made a permanent mark on the international music scene with his award-winning album Watina. Throughout his career, he was awarded two prestigious international awards – “Best New Artist” at the Caribbean Music Awards in 1991 and “World Music Award” at the BBC3 Awards in 2008.

Andy Palacio’s life mission was the preservation of the Garifuna culture and language. He put that mission to the forefront through his music.

He first started out in the popular Punta Rock genre which is an upbeat Garifuna dance music that is infused with synthetic beats and keyboards. However later on he realized that the Punta Rock genre wasn’t for him and that he needed to make music in a form that would keep his Garifuna Heritage alive.

In an interview for Stonetree Records, Andy Palacio speaks of cringing when he looked back at the samplers, sequencers, and instrumentals he was working with in the mid-’90s, adding that he didn’t want to be devoid of technology and become a slave to it.  This is why Palacio ensured that the tracks off the Watina album would be filled with messages and symbolism that speak to the need for the Garifuna people and the need to celebrate the culture. He wanted to create songs that were very different than the popular dance-oriented Punta and Paranda music.

Although he’s been gone for more than 12 years (January 19, 2020, marked the 12th year anniversary of his passing), Andy Palacio surely lives on through his music at home in Belize and abroad.

Read more about Andy Palacio.

New Measures in Belize for COVID-19

Belmopan. November 29, 2020. 5:45 p.m. 

One of the priority campaign areas of this new administration was to develop and share a new strategy for COVID-19 going forward. After a very immediate and intense review along with several consultations, the Minister of Health and Wellness Hon. Michel Chebat, SC on the advice of Cabinet has approved the following recommendations to increase the response for change through specific key areas: Epidemiological surveillance, hospital and lab capacity, medical and pharmaceutical supplies and risk communication and education for behavior change. 

Specific recommendations:  

1.    Improve Surveillance and Testing Capacities 

  1. Immediate – implement and scale up the use of rapid test in all district hospitals for symptomatic and close contacts. 
  2. Hire additional staff including (ex. laboratory technicians, lab aides, contact tracers and data entry clerks). 
  3. Active Surveillance with Ministry of Health teams at private businesses. 
  4. Establish testing sites outside of the hospital in accessible areas in urban communities and create two mobile swabbing teams for rural communities.  

2.    Surge Capacity for Hospital Services  

  1. Hiring of additional human resources such as nurses, doctors, specialist heath staff, support staff for deployment to all regional and community hospitals. 
  2. Acquisition of additional medical equipment and supplies. 

3.  National Public Health Measures for Containment 

  1. Implement curfew from 10:00 p.m. to 4:59 a.m. for 21 days effective Saturday, November 28, 2020. 
  2. Restriction of gatherings remains at 10 people at general public places, including the immediate household.  
  3. Every organization is expected to implement work from home orders and/or staff shift rotation for employees. 
  4. Provide food packages and stipend to families in quarantine in conjunction with the Ministry of Human Development, Families & Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs. 
  5. Provide hotel for persons who cannot quarantine at home. 
  6. Assess housing conditions to determine adequacy for isolation and/or quarantine. 
  7. Enforcement of Quarantine Measures in conjunction with the Ministry of Home Affairs and New Growth Industries. 
  8. Provide accommodation and other logistics for health care personnel. 
  9. New Health Education Campaign to reach both public and private sector in collaboration with the media and Non-Governmental Organization.  
  10. Restaurants without outdoor dining to have takeout and delivery service only.  
  11. Outdoor restaurants may offer dining in services by reservation only, for no more than 50 per cent of its seating capacity.  
  12. Churches can conduct service but it remains at 10 persons maximum  
  13. Bars remain closed.  
  14. Gymnasiums are to remain closed. 

The Ministry of Health and Wellness is eager and committed to work with all sectors to reduce the increasing COVID-19 cases and deaths. The Ministry will continue to monitor the situation in the immediate short term and adjust plans as necessary on the advice of its medical team.  

Please continue to wear a face mask properly in public, maintain consistent physical distancing and wash and sanitize hands at every opportunity. Be safe and stay at home. 

“Let’s join forces in fighting COVID-19.” 

#joinforcescovid19 

Ends 

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