Sunday was the first of September and as such, officials and other Belizeans gathered at St. George’s Caye where the September Celebrations 2013 honoring two hundred and fifteen years of the battle of St. George’s Caye and thirty two years of independence were officially launched. In his welcome speech, the Chairman of the Village Council of St. George’s Caye, John Searle Junior, spoke of Being and feeling Belizean as he contemplated this year’s theme of Belize in you, Belize in me, Land of the Free.
JOHN SEARLE JR., Chairman, St. George’s Caye
“The one thing that I saw in everyone’s face this morning as I greeted everyone is that they had this joy and happiness that is Belize and I am not sure I can put my finger of what it is but I think it’s a number of factors when you are here in Belize. Even the visitors coming to Belize feel it and they see it too and if they stay for a while they get it too because it’s contagious; it doesn’t take too long for someone to be in Belize to get it, maybe some of the consular corps or diplomatic corps might even have it already. I know for sure that the Baymen had it, my wife who is from the United States, I know that she has it too because I hear it every day when she says, ‘maaning’; and perhaps it’s the smiles and friendliness of the people; perhaps it’s something in the water, the rice and beans and the chicken, in the sea breeze or maybe even the Belikin but for sure everyone in Belize has that something special that makes them uniquely Belizean and therefore the theme of this year’s September Celebrations, ‘Belize in you, Belize in me, land of the free’ fits in very well and there is something else that makes the theme fit in as we celebrate the 32nd anniversary of our independence and the and the 215th anniversary of the Battle of St. George’s Caye; that is because our journey to land of the free started right here; so, today as we celebrate the opening of the September celebrations take a look around and tell me if you don’t feel it, Belize in you, Belize in me, land of the free.”
Minister of Tourism and Culture, also the chairman for the National Celebration’s Commission, Manuel Heredia concentrated on the history of St. George’s Caye as an example of patriotism.
MANUEL HEREDIA, Chairman, National Celebrations Commission
“We know that the Battle of St. George’s Caye changed the path of Belizean history; we also know that this victory was only made possible by the coming together of people of diverse ethnicity who were prepared to sacrifice their lives in the pursuit of freedom and not just any freedom but freedom in this great territory that is now Belize. From the very birth of our nation, ours has been a country that has encouraged unity regardless of culture or greed; our willingness to embrace people of multicultural origins had been pivotal in the evolution of Belize’s identity, we continue to build on those very same values for which our forefathers fought so valiantly at the Battle of St. George’s Caye. It is this legacy, our unwavering belief in democracy, our desire to be a free nation and our diverse heritage that makes us unique; it is not surprising that along with the natural beauty of our land, this seamless and harmonious melting pot of cultures continue to attract many visitors to this land of the free.”
During the ceremony, the winner of this year’s theme, Jeanelle Mencias was awarded her cheque. The program also consisted of cultural presentations and the St. George’s Caye Battle Regatta. Reporting for Love News, I am Natalie Novelo.