Party In Belize Garifuna Settlement Day Celebration
n November 19th the
celebrations commence to
mark the arrival of the In 1795 the Garifuna people
first Garifuna to Belize in 1832. rebelled against the British. The
The day, called Garifuna British punished them for their
Settlement Day, is celebrated insolence by deporting them to
throughout the country, but the island of Roatán, off
especially in Dangriga, the Honduras. According to legend,
cultural capital of Belize. There the Garífuna hid cassava, a
is traditional Garifuna and mainstay of their diet, inside
Belizean food, live punta music, their clothes, where it stayed
games and Jonkunu dancers. In alive watered by the sweat of the
addition they reenact 'The tightly packed captives. They
Landing.' planted the cassava on Roatán,
where it grew abundantly. In
The Garifuna are a people 1832, many Garifuna left Honduras
produced from the merging of two after a civil war there and
cultures. The history goes that settled in Dangriga, Belize on
two slave ships were shipwrecked November 19th. Garifuna
in the Carribbean near the island Settlement Day began to be
of St. Vincent. The slaves celebrated in Dangriga in 1941.
escaped the sinking boat and
reached the shores of the island, Each year in Belize, locals
where they were welcomed by the reenact ‘The Landing’ by slipping
Caribs, who offered their out to sea in boats, then riding
protection. Their intermarriage the surf onto shore, waving palm
formed the Garifuna people. The fronds and banana leaves to
Garifuna adopted the Carib symbolize the cassava that
language but kept their African sustained their ancestors. This
musical and religious traditions. ritual is rich in music and
dance. wonderfully prepared coconuts. In
the town, one can find original
Dining opportunities in Dangriga works of art, palm crafts,
include Garifuna dishes with Garifuna handmade dolls, calabash
fish, chicken, pork, corn and maracas and drums, which their
manioc or cassava, and makers say last for a century.
About the Author:
Midwife turned webmother, beer brewer who loves to travel, Dianne has many interests including finding cool places to go and making that information available for all to share. See her site at http://worldstogethertravel.com/.
Drop her a line, she would be thrilled!
Read more articles by: Dianne Birney
Article Source: www.iSnare.com |
|
