Happy Birthday QEII!

Being Queen does have its perks!  Most of us get to celebrate only one birthday a year (and sometimes, even that is one too many…) but Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom and Other Commonwealth Realms (of which Belize is one) has a choice. Despite her actual birth in April, the Queen’s Official birthday in the UK and elsewhere is celebrated in June.

In Belize we celebrate our differences. Belize is a Commonwealth country, member of that loosely held group of nations that recognizes Queen Elizabeth II as our sovereign ruler. So here, we celebrate Sovereign’s Day on May 24th. Why? Because despite her over 65 years on the throne, Elizabeth is not the Queen whose birthday we acknowledge — that privilege belongs to Queen Victoria.

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May 1st, Labour Day: Will you be at Secret Beach?

Holiday! Celebrate!

Like many other countries around the world, Belize celebrates Labour Day (also now known as International Worker’s Day) on May 1st.  People from the US and Canada are more familiar with this as a September holiday, but traditionally, a celebration of the workers of the world coincides with Spring. Labour Day in Belize is a bona-fide National Holiday, garnering workers who qualify time and half on their paychecks and celebrated country-wide with bar-b-ques, games, races, volleyball tourneys and just old-fashioned fun.

Secret Beach, Ambergris Caye, Belize

Secret Beach–waiting for you & Labour Day celebrations!

The big news for Labour Day in San Pedro is always the Bash at Secret Beach (okay, we all know this isn’t really a secret any longer). Secret Beach (and more about this another time…) started its annual Labour Day Bash a couple of years ago and it immediately became the go-to event for the day. May also sees a slow down in San Pedro from the fast-paced (for workers) tourist season to the more mellow vibes of early summer, so for the many men and women who sustain and maintain the infrastructure tourists rely on (groundskeepers, housekeepers, restaurant and town workers, pool cleaners and street cleaners, the people who keep the utilities running and pick up the trash) Labour Day is not only a day to kick back and relax, it is also a true celebration of their efforts and contributions to the island.

If May first finds you in San Pedro, come along and join the fun – food, music, sandy shores and sparkling water take the work out of celebrating!

For photos of a previous Secret Beach Labour Day bash, click here

-Post by Rosa LaRosa