Local News

The National Institute of Culture and History, NICH, and the Belize Tourism Board are pressing on with their plans for this year’s September Celebrations.  While all the days from September first to the twenty first are not yet filled with events, they are bound to be.  And this morning, the two organizing bodies held a breakfast meeting with the media to plan just that.  Communications Officer with NICH, Shari Williams, says this is what is on the schedule thus far.

SHARI WILLIAMS, Communications Officer with NICH

“We have the Carnival the carnival road march, we have the Queen of the Bay, we have the 10^th day celebrations and bram, we have the 21^st official celebration, 20^th night fireworks, pan yaad and the list goes on and on and on.  But this year we’re having some added actions to the calendar for example on the 2^nd we’re having the opening ceremonies out at St. George’s Caye.  After the ceremonies there’s going to be a battle regatta.  So we’re inviting people to come out, it’s being put together by the Sailing Association.  On the 19^th of September we’re having a National Service Day.  This is the day to honor our national heroes as well as ask Belizeans to give back to the community.  We have a lot of new stuff coming and we’re hoping that more and more Belizeans will come home for the September celebrations as well as people at home will take part and enjoy.”

MARION ALI, Reporter

“Do you have any incentives for Belizeans abroad to come home?”

SHARI WILLIAMS, Communications Officer with NICH

 “Yes, our theme at BTB about to announce official airlines for the September celebrations.  This airline is offering a huge discount to Belizeans living abroad to come home for the celebrations.  This supposed to announce shortly as well as we’re launching a photo competition where we’re inviting people to send us the best picture to post at our facebook site Belize Celebration on facebook, their best picture that they have ever had for our September celebrations.  Just to reminisce and bring back the September feeling of what it was like and as well as have that documented.”

MARION ALI, Reporter

MARION ALI, Reporter

 “You have a few days on your calendar that have not yet been filled.  Can you say if you’re looking at new items to include on that?”

SHARI WILLIAMS, Communications Officer with NICH

“We have some applications where we send out a call inviting people to send us your activity for September celebrations that you would like for us to include on the calendar.  So we have several applications that we’re looking at to see which suggestions we are going to endorse and which suggestion we are going to include on the calendar.  The team meets tomorrow to decide on what we’re going to add and what we’re going to take off.”         

This year, the first event as part of the September celebrations will take place even before September comes around.  It will be the song completion on August twenty-fifth, and you have a chance to make it bigger and better.

SHARI WILLIAMS, Communications Officer with NICH

“Presently, we’re inviting artist musicians to send in your song both in the patriotic and the carnival competition both juniors and seniors, we have fantastic prizes.  We’re inviting people on whether you have your song either drop it off at the Bliss Center for Performing Arts, you can upload it via mynationalsong.bz or you can email it to septembercelebrationsbze@yahoo.com, send in your songs, fabulous prizes.  This is in collaborations with Atlantic International Bank, there are the ones providing the prizes for this.”

The celebration has its events, such as the Carnival Road March, King and Queen and Mass Camps that naturally draw more crowd attraction than other activities on the calendar.  We asked Williams if this signifies that the patriotic spirit is being lost over the years.  She says that is a matter of perception.

SHARI WILLIAMS, Communications Officer with NICH

“No the spirit is not being lost at all, on the contrary, I think last year for the first time we had turn out that was simply spectacular.  On the 20^th night we had, we actually had a September spectacle where hundreds and hundreds of people took part out there at the Memorial Park.  It was not only – the spectacle was not only to entertain but also to educate people about the September celebrations and already we’ve had calls asking for something of that sort.  So no I don’t feel as if though we’re losing the September spirit, I think over the years the ways we celebrate it have changed but at no means are we losing it we’re just kind of changing.”

The government has allocated half a million dollars for the various municipalities and town boards to carry out their calendar of events.  Also included in this are prizes for the competitions in which the public take part.  This year’s September celebrations theme is: Many Faces, Many Dreams, One Goal - Celebrating Belize.