Who says you have to stay home at Christmas when the true meaning of this sacred holiday can be found in Belize?
Once you’ve completed your Christmas preparations and left someone else in charge of the cleanup, who wouldn’t want to spend all or part of a winter holiday marveling at ethnic traditions after trading your snowy, traffic-snarled hometown for sunshine? By spending Christmas in Belize, many people experience a re-birth of their faith and it could easily happen to you once you witness these lively holiday traditions:
-The Christmas Bram. This Kriol tradition may remind you of carolers going door-to-door, but instead of wearing winter coats, performers in summer garb play and sing Brukdong music to the delight of observers lining Belize streets every year.
-Dangriga’s Garifuna Jankunu dance is an elaborate performance that makes fun of former slave owners. Staged days after Christmas, an annual Jankunu competition in Dangriga challenges senior Jankunu dancers to perform their hearts out, and with each year, the crowd of observers grows larger.
-Find your way to the Santa Cruz in Southern Belize for the Maya Deer Dance. This centuries-old ritual is performed by 24 dancers wearing elaborate Maya costumes as they act out dance moves that are so old, their origins are rooted in the land’s earliest settlers.
-Participate in the 9-day-long Las Posadas in Benque Viejo del Carmen, Cayo. This procession is a replication of the journey Mary and Joseph took to Bethlehem and includes parading statues of the holy family being “turned away” from homes enroute to Bethlehem. Statues remain overnight in homes and are picked up the following morning. With each day, crowds accompany the statues toward the church.
Yes, there are the usual festivities—all done Belize-style: Christmas tree lightings—especially the big one at Mule Park in Belize City—traditional meals and the culmination of every faithful believer’s holiday: Midnight mass. Every church welcomes visitors, so you’ll feel right at home.
By choosing Placencia Belize and Laru Beya Resort as your hub, you’re within close proximity to many of these celebratory activities and the ones that are located a little further away won’t be a problem. Laru Beya staff can solve your transport dilemmas or you can rent a car and take in the scenery as you travel.
Either way, you’ll come and go from one of the most luxurious accommodations on the peninsula, where lush villas, gourmet dining and every amenity a guest could desire await. Book now and arrive by December 18th and a free day could be added to your stay.
There is only one downside to this unique holiday adventure that you should know about: You’re going to want to return year after year. It happens. Remember, it took Mary and Joseph a long time to find their destiny. You can do it in just hours by flying non-stop to Belize and immersing yourself in Christmas as it was meant to be celebrated.
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