The Omission of Commonwealth Day/Sovereign’s Day in Belize on May 24th
Sovereign’s Day, or The Commonwealth Day, was a public as well as a bank holiday in Belize on May 24th.
It was a set rule if May 24th ended up falling on a Sunday, the country would observe a holiday on the coming Monday. However, in the 2021 list of public and bank holidays for Belize, the holiday for Sovereign’s Day/Commonwealth Day has been omitted. Moreover, there was also the removal of Pan-American Day or Columbus Day from the list. Instead, it has included Emancipation Day and El Dia de la Raza. The date for these holidays is October 12th.
This holiday celebrates the heritage, colonization, and diversity of Latin American culture, and it is observed in different Latin American countries and is known as a celebration of the Hispanic heritage of the people living in the region. Right after the Minister of Home Affairs, Kareem Musa, said that the October 12th holiday was named and corrected to Indigenous People’s Resistance Day.
He explained that the entire Cabinet altogether agreed that the right name for October 12th should be Indigenous People’s Resistance Day in order to remember and recognize the survival, resistance, and struggle the indigenous people in Belize, specifically Mayas, went through.
This makes it somewhat likely that Sovereign’s Day/Commonwealth Day is not going to be observed anymore. This holiday actually celebrated two aspects that highlight Belize’s colonial history. This includes the birthday of Queen Victoria along with the Commonwealth of Nations.The
Which Day Will Be A Holiday in Belize?
Belizeans are now asking if the coming Monday, which is May 23th, and Tuesday, May 24th, is going to be official holiday in the celebration of Commonwealth Day.
However, some readers might recall that on November 3rd, 2021, the Government of Belize released the list of Public and Bank Holidays for the Year 2022, and there was no mention of the Commonwealth Day Holiday.
The Government of Belize issued a press release which stated that no public and bank holiday is going to take place as it did before.
The Official Removal of Sovereign’s Day / Commonwealth Day
In November 2021, Kareem Musa, Minister of Home Affairs and New Growth Ministers made a statement saying that Commonwealth Day is not really celebrated in other countries as a holiday, as far as he is aware. Sure, it is recognized in different areas, but it is not really celebrated as a holiday.
He added that Belize is one of the few countries in the entire world that acknowledges that Sovereign’s Day/Commonwealth Day is a holiday. Other countries out there celebrate it as Labor Day. However, Belize’s Labor Day is celebrated on May 1st.
He said that May 24th is no longer going to be a holiday. It can be recognized and all of that; however, there is no need to think of it as a holiday anymore. There are too many holidays already, and the chamber would say that the chamber would actually agree to this and would want to see one removed.
What is the History of Sovereign’s Day / Commonwealth Day
A public holiday was declared in 1901 across the British Empire on May 24th, on the death of Queen Victoria. This is the birth anniversary of the great sovereign who ruled the British empire for 63 years!
During their reign, Queen Victoria was viewed as a motherly figure. One year after her death, the holiday was changed to Empire Day. This was done by the Earl of Meath in order to promote the training of children in all aspects to create excellent citizens. It got the name commonwealth day in 1966.
Moreover, in the late 1950s, the British empire was falling, and the prime minister at the time, Harold Macmillian, announced that Empire Day needed to be changed to Commonwealth Day. In 1976, the date of this holiday was switched to the second Monday of March every year.
Out of 54 members of the Commonwealth, Belize is known to be the only country that is still observed from May 24th till 2021. Canada observes a holiday for Queen Victoria’s birthday on the Monday after May 25th.
It was a really interesting holiday which was celebrated in numerous ways. It was a public holiday with banks as well as government offices closed. The National Sports Council would conduct horse races in Belize City’s National Stadium as well as Orange Walk Town’s People’s Stadium. There was also a cycling race arranged by the National Sports Council.
This happened between the cities called Belmopan and Cayo. Apart from this, there were loads of other fun traditions as well. The entire family would participate in these, including children, adults as well as grandparents. Everyone would get out of their houses during this time and would follow the traditions that have been happening for years.
There was also a flag-raising ceremony that took place every year, along with the reading of the Queen’s Commonwealth Day messages. There were a lot of interesting events that happened at school as well as universities to celebrate Commonwealth Day.
There were many family-related activities that took place as well. These include amazing and fun-filled vacations in the Cayes, and lagoons were found throughout the county. Since this was the day when Businesses, as well as schools, were closed, people would spend their entire day exploring Mayan ruins or even the Jaguar Paw. It was an amazing opportunity to go through the rainforest, search a lot of caves in Belize, and so much more.
Browse our list of Kanana Caribbean hot spots and also checkout our news page for more updates.
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