Reasons To Start Planning A Belize Christmas Vacation
Belize is well renowned for its varied population, and this diversity is most evident at Christmas. After the Christmas Tree Lighting, which officially kicks off the holiday season, Belizeans generally celebrate Christmas throughout the entire month of December.
A Belize Christmas vacation is a festive and fun time of the year for children and adults, as the country celebrates with parades in all of the bigger towns and cities.Â
Belize City is home to the Love FM Christmas Parade where Santa and his entourage distribute goodies to the throngs lining the streets. With an abundance of sunshine, warm weather, and old-fashioned holiday cheer, Christmas in Belize is truly something special.Â
If you’re looking to escape the winter blues and want to enjoy an amazing holiday vacation in Belize, there are plenty of exciting things to do and see.
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How Is Christmas Celebrated In Belize?
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Belize is well renowned for its varied population, and this diversity is most evident at Christmas. After the Christmas Tree Lighting, which officially kicks off the holiday season, Belizeans generally celebrate Christmas throughout the entire month of December.Â
For new Christmas trees, decorations, Marley (linoleum) for the floor, and curtains to decorate the house for Christmas Day, families typically swarm to the city center (mostly Albert Street) in the weeks running up to Christmas to take advantage of all the Christmas deals.
While many Belizeans observe Christmas in the American manner, which consists mostly of decorating a tree and waiting for Santa Claus with the children, many different regional customs are still practiced today.
What Is The Best Month To Visit Belize & Why?
Belize’s dry season, which lasts from late November to mid-April, is the ideal time to visit. Even though it’s the busiest time of year, coping with the crowds is a little price to pay for the pleasant weather, clear skies, and convenient access to the nation’s greatest sites.Â
April and May are probably the best months to avoid going because of the high humidity and sweltering temperatures. From June to mid-November, showers and high winds are to be expected. Come in September and October during the rainy season if you want to avoid the tourist crush and don’t mind bringing an umbrella. But bear in mind that some businesses close down in the off-season.
The rainy season lasts from June to December, however, travel is still feasible up to the beginning of August. As the season goes on, travel becomes difficult, and there is little chance of hurricanes. During this time, several companies will shut down.
Christmas Celebrations In Belize!!!
Christmas in Belize is celebrated throughout December. It’s the month where Belizeans spend quality time with family and friends. Banks, Government offices, and most businesses that have no direct link with tourism are shut down for the week surrounding Christmas Day.
In Belize Christmas is a time when the locals especially clean and decorate their homes. In preparation for expected or unexpected family and friends, the house is cleaned, and sometimes new curtains are hung along with various Christmas decorations.
While many Belizeans celebrate Christmas the traditional way, lots of other local traditions are still being kept alive. If you are visiting Belize in December you can expect to experience some of these unique celebrations.
1. Garifuna Jankunu & Charikanari Dance
During the Christmas and New Year holidays, the local Garifuna communities in Belize take to the streets to enjoy the Jankunu and Charikanari dancers. The Jankunu dance sees masked and costumed dancers. They parade the streets and roam from house to house accompanied by the beat of traditional drummers.
2. Christmas Bram
The Belize Kriol culture’s traditional holiday, the Christmas Bram, has its origins in old Belize City and the nearby communities in the Belize region. Similar to “caroling,” the Bram involves people dancing and singing along to Brukdong music as they move from house to house to spread holiday pleasure. Although the Christmas Bram isn’t as widely observed in modern Belize City, communities like Gales Point Manatee still participate every year.
3. Kwanzaa - Boxing Day Celebrations
Kwanzaa is a holiday that is celebrated by the black American-Belizeans on the 26th of December which honors their African-American culture.
4. Midnight Mass
With over 70% of Belizeans being Christians, midnight Mass or “Misa de Gallo” on Christmas eve is an important part of the Christmas celebrations in Belize.
5. 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.
6. Christmas Tree Lighting
The Christmas tree lighting has been an annual tradition in Belize City where everyone would gather at Battlefield Park to witness the Mayor lighting the tall Christmas tree officially kicking off the Christmas season in Belize. Now, the occasion has been moved to Mule Park.
Traditional Foods At Christmas Time In Belize
People eat typical Christmas fare including conventional turkey and all the festive fixings. The Christmas Eve or Christmas Day feasts incorporate local traditional cuisine as well.Â
Rice and beans, potato salad, black fruitcake, white Relleno (a soup with chicken packed with pork and raisins), pebre (roasted pig with gravy), ham with pickled onions and jalapenos, and tamales are some of these foods. The well-known eggnog substitute rum popo from Belize is also a holiday favorite.
The Well-Known Christmas Dinner Feast!
Food is one of the key components that can make or shatter Christmas anyplace, and Belize is no exception. To ensure that the delectable Belizean rum is powerful in the fruit cakes and rum popo, the sweets are typically prepared days in advance.Â
The big feast on Christmas day includes rice and beans, potato salad, turkey, breadcrumb stuffing, cranberry jam with cherry, and pineapple-adorned ham. Food preparations for Christmas day start on Christmas Eve. Mestizos typically enjoy a white Relleno dish for Christmas that includes chicken, stuffed pork, and Machado olives and is served with warm corn tortillas. The typical meal of the bulk of Mayans during celebrations is chicken tamales.
What Is The Weather Like In December in Belize?
Average temperatures in Belize, in December range from 71°F or 22°C to 80°F or 27°C. You can expect the days to be quite mild and somewhat sunny, but pleasant and the nights cool, the perfect weather for a tropical Christmas vacation.
A wet day is one with at least 0.04 inches of liquid or liquid-equivalent precipitation. In Belize City, the chance of a wet day throughout December is gradually decreasing, starting the month at 28% and ending at 26%.
Things To Do In Belize In December
Scuba Dive Or Snorkel The Barrier Reef
With more than 200 miles of island coasts, coral atolls, and reefs that are home to thousands of colorful species of marine fauna and flora, the Belize Barrier Reef.
Christmas Tree Lighting
Christmas tree lighting has been an annual tradition in Belize City where everyone in the city gathers at Battlefield Park to witness the Mayor lighting the tall Christmas tree officially kicking off the Christmas season in Belize. This occasion has been moved to Mule Park.
Maya Temple Site
Belize was once the heartland of the ancient Maya civilization. Tourists can explore excavated sites like Altun Ha, Xunantunich, and Caracol.
Belize Caves
The natural geology of Belize has left a lot of caves. Some of the most spectacular include Actun Tunichil Muknal (ATM) Cave. This cave was previously used by Maya priests to perform human sacrifices.
Birdwatching & Hiking In The Jungle
You will be able to see hundreds of migratory and local avian species as you explore one of the main rainforests, broadleaf forests, and jungles in Belize.
Lighted Boat Parade
In Ambergris Caye, a flotilla of boats parade from the north part of the island past San Pedro on the Saturday of the first week of December.
Las Posadas
Starting on the 16th of December, Catholic communities in Belize parade the statues of Joseph and Mary through town in a re-creation of the Biblical search for a room at the inn.
Toledo District
The modern Maya perform an ancient traditional ceremony which is known as the Deer Dance on Christmas where 24 dancers in a variety of masks portray a very classic story.
KEY TAKEAWAYS ...🛪
The ideal time to begin planning for the Christmas holidays, which are among the busiest travel dates to Belize, is in the late summer.
