Mothers Day: May 13

Mothers Day is celebrated in Australia, Canada, and the USA.

Motherhood is perhaps one of the most glorious things in the world. Mothers shape their children’s life in a way that no one else can do. Mother’s day has always been celebrated to cherish our dear mothers and make the day special for them. The Mother’s day concept was conceived by Anna Jarvis who felt it was essential to have a day to commemorate the glory of motherhood. It is now celebrated world wide.

Mothers Day History

Mother’s day has a recent history dating to the early 20th century. The one that is celebrated throughout the world is derived from the US one. There are other festivals like the Mothering Sunday of the UK that has an origin much earlier. This dates back to the 16th century. There are also beliefs that it originated from the ancient Greece who honored the great mother of Greek Gods Cybele. There was one in Rome dedicated to Juno.

Dating back to 1912, the founder Anna Jarvis copyrighted the name “Mother’s day” and the “2nd Sunday of May”. Jarvis is supposed to have been very particular about the position of the apostrophe. It was supposed to come after the ‘r’ in mother. This denoted that this was singular possessive. This means that it is expected of each person in the family to cherish their mother. It was not to denote a general term for all the mothers. This was the spelling that President Wilson used in making the holiday official.

Mothers Day Traditions and Activities

The day is usually celebrated by giving gifts to the mothers. Children usually like taking in charge of some of the household work such as cooking or doing the dishes. It is done to recognize the role of mothers in making their everyday life smooth. The mothers are also taken out for dinner. Recent traditions involve in getting the mothers a “Mother ring” as a token of affection.

There has been rampant commercialization of the Mother’s day. The sales of Mother’s day cards earn so much of revenue that it disgusted even the founder Jarvis. She became famous for her vociferous protest against this form of commercialization. She thought that the cards destroyed the bond and it made people lazy to write a personal letter. She even gave a statement saying that she wished she had never started the day because it was not the way she expected it to be celebrated.

There is nothing better than being at home with our mothers and spending some quality time with them. It would probably bring in more joy than any of the fancy gifts. The commercialization is to be condoned, but in the wake of modern life, there is no other go than to accept it.

Nowadays billions of dollars are generated on a single day. According to a survey, Americans usually spend 2.6 billion dollars on flowers and 1.53 billion dollars on very indulgent gifts like spa visits. There is a whopping sixty eight million dollars spent on the cards alone. The jewelers have a happy day with 7.8% of their revenue getting generated on one day.

Other interesting posts:

• Mothers Day Australia
• Georgia Honors Mothers on March 13 (Georgia Mothers’ Day)
• Syria Observes Mothers’ Day Celebration

Common Prayers Day: May 4

Common Prayers Day is a public holiday in Denmark and Greenland.

Denmark celebrates Common Prayers Day usually on the last Friday after the celebration of Easter Sunday. The date of the celebration varies, but for 2010, it will be celebrated on April 30, 2010. The holiday is locally known as, ‘Store Bededag.’

King Christian V of Denmark instituted the celebration of Common Prayers Day to combine the festivity held by various small Christian religious affiliations in Denmark into one common holiday.

Denmark is the only country that celebrates Common Prayers Day; a practice not celebrated in other Scandinavian countries. The holiday’s other popular names are Great Day of Prayer, Great Prayer Day, All Prayers Day or General Prayer Day.

History of Denmark’s Common Prayers Day

The Common Prayers Day began in Denmark in 1686 during the reign of King Christian V. The holiday was instituted to consolidate the minor Christian religious holidays after the birth of Protestantism (Reformation). It was left unscathed during the holiday reformation in 1771 during the time of Christian VII.

The celebration of Common Prayers Day was effective in uniting the observance of minor individual Christian holidays and saints during Spring season in Denmark.

Denmark’s Common Prayers Day: Traditions, Customs and Activities

Government offices and businesses close during the holidays. Several traditions associated with the celebration of Common Prayers Day are eating of traditional Danish bread called ‘varme hveder’ and walking along the famous parks of Copenhagen such as the Langelinie.

Since most businesses, including bakeries, are closed during the holiday, it has become a tradition to buy verme hveder a night before the celebration. The tolling of church bells is common during the night signaling the celebration of the holiday as churches conduct their regular church service for the occasion.

Other interesting posts:

• Liberia Celebrates National Day of Fast and Prayer
• Constitution Day Commemorated in Denmark

Day of the Americas (Pan American Day): April 14

Day of the Americas is celebrated as a public holiday in Honduras

Day of the Americas or Pan American Day is celebrated in the country of Honduras every 14th of April. It is actually observed by every American nations as a symbol of the unity and strong bond of the American continent.

History of the Day of the Americas

Pan American Day originated during the 1800s which was proclaimed by Simon Bolivar in the Congress of Panama. This was established because of the Monroe doctrine that aimed to create a spirit of unity between the countries in the American continent at the same time not forgetting about their European origin.

There were several actions and proposals that were escalated for the confederation of the Inter-American connection. It was only on 1889 that the American customs union was formally proposed and happened during the first International Conference of American States in Washington DC. Finally on April 14, 1890, the International Bureau of American Republics was established which later on was called the Pan American Union and sooner became known as the Organization of American States or OAS.

On May 7, 1930, the official date of the celebration of the Pan American Day was proposed at a resolution adopted by the Governing Board of the Pan American Union. And on 1931, April 14 as the official celebration day of the Pan American Day was officially passed under the administration of President Herbert Hoover.

The Day of the Americas Traditions, Customs and Activities

During this special holiday, the people of Honduras actively participate in the commemoration rites. Most offices display flag of the different nations that are part of the Pan American Union.

In most schools and universities, the Day of the Americas is always a big celebration every year. Some activities include a parade or a presentation by the orchestra and some even hold pageants or play that reenacts this particular day in the history.

Travel companies and the tourism department also organize exhibits and public displays that feature the many different articles and artifacts including replicas of the publication of the Organization of American States.

Other interesting posts:

• Honduras celebrates Independence Day
• Libya Commemorates American Evacuation Day

Anniversary of the Battle of Rivas: April 11

Anniversary of the Battle of Rivas is celebrated as a public holiday in Costa Rica

The Anniversary of the Battle of Rivas is celebrated by the Republic of Costa Rica each year on the 11th of April. The holiday is more popularly known as Juan Santamaria Day in memory of their 19-year old barefooted soldier who fought for their country against the troop of William Walker on 1856.

History of Anniversary of the  Battle of Rivas (Juan Santamaria Day)

During the early 1850′s William Walker and his army planned to conquer the five Central American states. He attempted of putting the states together as a new Federation of Southern States in the territory of the United States in which he wanted to become the head of the federation. Costa Rica was among his target territories.

On 1856, Walker became the highest ruler of Nicaragua. He established a type of government in Nicaragua in which foreign nations, especially the Americans and the Europeans feared and they refused to engage into Walker’s military conquests. Later on, these Central American States organized an alliance to bring down the economy of Walker led by Costa Rica.

Further preparation and training was organized by Costa Rican president, Juan Rafael Mora for the approaching attack of the army of Walker. Mora received a strong support from his people and of them was Juan Santamaria, a teenage drummer from the town of Alajuela.

On March 19 of 1856, after the march to Guanacaste by President Mora and his people, they were faced with the armed group of Walker. The encounter lasted for several minutes and Walker’s troop pulled back and returned to Nicaragua for safety. The Costa Ricans were never torn apart and they followed the troop to the borders at Rivas. The battle sparked between the two parties. Almost half of the Costa Rican were defeated and as a quick decision to defeat Walker’s army, General Cañas thought of burning them out which was a successful idea however, turned out to be suicidal.

With this courageous plan, two volunteers decided to carry on and pursue the order. The Costa Rican drummer boy along and one Nicaraguan were the bravest souls during the battle which made the plan of General Cañas victorious. Santamaria sacrificed his life and was able to fulfill his duty to his country by saving it to the hands of the invaders.

Anniversary of the Battle of Rivas (Juan Santamaria Day) Traditions, Customs and Activities

Since the Battle of Rivas, Juan Santamaria was declared as one of the country’s heroes. He is honored during this day because of his heroic act which led to the sovereignty of the Costa Ricans.

As a way of remembering Santamaria, a statue was put up in a park in Alajuela and a museum was established in memory of him. Also, the primary international airport of Costa Rica bears Santamaria’s name.

During the celebration of Battle of Rivas of Juan Santamaria Day, several parades, national activities, parades and concerts are being held nationwide most especially in his birth place, Alajuela.

Maundy Thursday: April 1

Maundy Thursday is a religious observance for Christians all over the world.

Maundy Thursday is a Christian feast that is celebrated on the Thursday before Easter. This day celebrates the final meal of Jesus Christ with his apostles in the Cenacle, just before his Passion. It is celebrated after Holy Wednesday and before Good Friday. It is also known as Holy Thursday, Thursday of Mysteries, and Great and Holy Thursday.

History of Maundy Thursday

Maundy derives from the Latin word mandatum, meaning “commandment”. At the table of the Last Supper, Jesus gave the Apostles a new commandment: “And I now give you a new commandment, love one another. As I loved you, so you must love one another,” from the Gospel of John.

It was also the night when Jesus instituted the Eucharist, as he said that the disciples should break the bread in his memory. The Last Supper was served in the Cenacle or Upper Room, believed to be the house owned by John Mark and his mother, Mary. It was the same room where the apostles gathered after the death and resurrection of Jesus.

Christian Churches during Mass on Maundy Thursday will follow certain common traits like the forgiving of venial and deadly sins, the washing of the feet, the blessing of the oil to be used in sacraments, the ceasing of the bells until Easter Sunday, and the stripping of the altar. All are symbols of the night of the Last Supper.

Maundy Thursday Traditions, Customs and Activities

On Maundy Thursday, all over the world, Christians celebrate the Last Supper of Jesus Christ with a special Eucharist, during which the celebrating priest will wash and kiss the feet of chosen people from the community. During the morning Mass, the local Bishop will bless oils which will later be used in different sacraments such as baptism. After the mass, as psalms and antiphons are recited, the altar is left empty. The altar is a symbol of Christ, and its emptiness represents the way that he was abandoned by the apostles.

Vigils are held during the night, in remembrance of what happened to Jesus after the Last Supper in Gethsemane just before he was arrested. The churches are decorated in royal purple or red violet, the colors of Lent. Some communities of Christians on this day also organize pot-luck dinners, in significance of the communion lived among the disciples and Jesus during the Last Supper.

In Germany it is known as Green Thursday, and the traditional foods served on this day are green vegetables and green salad. This tradition is also followed in some Latin American countries. In the Czech Republic and Slovakia, groups of children shake with wooden rattles in the place of the church bell. In several countries there is a tradition of people visiting seven churches as a sign of penance. In Sweden the day is related to the day of witches, a time when children dress as witches and knock on doors to get candies, just like Halloween in the United States.

Other interesting posts:

• Palm Sunday Observed by Christians Around the World
• Labour Day; May Day; Workers’ Day; Day of Kazak
• New Year

Holy Week starts on the Tuesday preceding Easter.

Holy Week is public holidays in Guatemala and Uruguay.

The Holy Week occurs on the last week of Lent preceding Easter, or commonly known as a Resurrection Day of the Christ Jesus. Lent is the forty-day period counting from Ash Wednesday until Black Saturday with Sundays excluded from counting.

The Roman Catholic Church has prescribed rules on the observance of Holy Week which includes fasting, self-denial, penitence, prayer, and thanksgiving. The event commemorates the suffering of Jesus Christ (Passion of Christ) and his eventual death by crucifixion.

The celebration of Holy Week varies from year to year simply because the date of Easter in Christian liturgical calendar varies yearly. For 2010 for example, the celebration of Easter was marked on April 4, the week preceding that date is the Holy Week. If you count 40 days back from April 4, excluding Sundays, that will point back to Ash Wednesday which was observed on February 17.

History of Holy Week

There are no records with clear-cut accounts to Holy Week, but indirect reference was made on Apostolical Constitutions written in the late 400AD commanding the faithful, especially the clergy, on the rules of observance of Easter and the week before it.

Codex Theodosianus, laws compiled during the time of the Holy Roman Empire also provides guidelines on the cessation of administration and conduct of justice in the courts of law. Later, accounts in the book ‘The Pilgrimage of Etheria’ describes how early Churches observe the holiday along with its completion.

During the time of the Holy Roman Empire, Christians give Palm Sunday, the Sunday preceding Holy Week, special attention through celebration. Today, Palm Sunday is commemorated by Catholics by bringing with them palm leaves during mass service with the clergy focusing their sermons on the life of Jesus especially on his successful entry into Jerusalem and his life leading to crucifixion. The books of the Bible namely Matthew, Mark, and Luke are read during the religious discourse.

Maundy Thursday; The Last Supper

The Maundy Thursday commemorates Jesus and His disciples’ Last Supper. It is also the day when Jesus washed his disciples’ feet.

Disciple John who is an author of one of the books in the Bible offers details of Jesus’ life on this day (John 13 – 17). Mathew, Mark, and Luke also share the same stories about Jesus’ before his crucifixion (Luke 22:14-35, Matthew 26:20-30, Mark 14:17-26).

The word “Maundy” came from Latin “Mandatum novum” which means ‘new commandment’ as written on John 13:34. This simply means that the Lord Jesus gave new mandate given by Jesus upon his disciples where it says,

”A new commandment I give unto you, That you love one another as I have loved you.”Mandatum novum do vobis ut diligatis invicem sicut dilexi vos

In 2010, Maundy Thursday falls on April 1.

Good Friday

Good Friday is known as the day which commemorates the death of Jesus by crucifixion. The liturgical color that describes this day is red (previously black). The faithful, especially among the Catholics, consider this day as a day of strict fasting. It’s when full abstinence on meat and other bodily desires, and penance is observed. It is also known as Good Friday of the Lord’s Passion and Great Friday.

Some of the great traditions on Good Friday are the reading or singing of the Gospel of John (John 18:1-19:4), or part of it, in the Roman Catholic Church. Also, the cross is venerated usually by kneeling before it or kissing part of it as a sign of respect. People usually stop any form of work at 3:00 PM, a time when Jesus was believed to have died on the cross at Calvary.

Good Friday is scheduled on April 2 for this year (2010).

Holy Saturday; Latin: Sabbatum Sanctum

The Holy Saturday is the day just before Easter, and is the last day of Lent. Holy Saturday falls on April 3 in 2010. The clergy usually wears violet or purple as a Liturgical sign on this day.

The Holy Saturday represents Jesus lying in the tomb until his eventual resurrection on Easter. For the faithful, this is the time to reflect on the Lord’s passion faithfully waiting for the Lord’s resurrection on Easter.

The Roman Catholics consider this tradition as the Hour of the Mother or Mary. Just as Mary waited for her son’s triumph over death, the faithful also contemplate on this day as they wait for Christ’s resurrection on Easter.

Holy Week: Traditions, Customs and Activities

Christians, especially the members of the Catholic Churches such as the Eastern Orthodox Churches and the Roman Catholic Church follows strict fasting and penance (remorse for past misconducts).

Pope Paul VI in 1966 made clearer rules on how penance and fasting should be done in order to provide the clergy and the public a guide that encompasses both the individuals who are required to fast and the type of food that should be avoided.

Meat is basically forbidden, including processed food made of fat and meat, and milk products but excluding eggs. However, soup made of meat juices are permitted such as chicken broth, soups cooked from meat or event the flavored ones.

Pilgrimage is also encouraged. However, since International travel is expensive, most people would content themselves in visiting local churches and pilgrimage sites which is still seen as acts that are in keeping with the said obligation.

In the Philippines where the majority of the population are Roman Catholics, visita iglesia or church visits is a tradition during Holy Week. The faithful would usually choose to visit seven (7) local churches and say a prayer and their wishes during each visit. This tradition is in fact an old practice of penance among the Catholics in old Rome.

Other interesting posts:

• Holy Saturday
• Pentecost
• Coptic Epiphany Observed by Coptic Orthodox Christians

Mexico’s Birthday of Benito Juarez: March 21

Mexico’s Birthday of Benito Juarez is a public holiday in Mexico.

Mexico commemorates the birthday of Benito Juarez, the president of Mexico from January 19, 1858 to July 18, 1872. Juarez is famous for his anti-clerical views and has fought hard to remove the prejudices against the indigenous people of Mexico, a problem which plagued the country in the 19th century. He led a novel effort of modernizing Mexico’s economy despite a cataclysmic political environment.

The holiday is also called Day of the Indian Chief.

History of Mexico’s Birthday of Benito Juarez

The people of Mexico consider Juarez a national hero and the most loved among the country’s previous head of state. He was known to have instituted various legal economic reformations which later formed part of Mexico’s 1857 constitution. He heavily resisted France’s monarchical powers and the installation of Monarchical rule in the country with Maximilian von Habsburg considered as Emperor Maximilian I of Mexico as dictated by France.

He was hailed to be the only president who effectively pushed reforms that benefited the indigenous people of the country including the Indian population giving them better education (obligatory in nature) and health care and improve their living conditions.

Perhaps, his bravest efforts apart from his incredible resistance against foreign rule his anti-clerical acts which effectively limited the powers and influence of the Roman Catholic Church in Mexico stating that the church power hinders national development and the improvement of lives of the poor.

Because of his important contributions, his birthday, March 21, was dedicated as a national celebration. He once said,

”Entre los individuos, como entre las naciones, el respeto al derecho ajeno es la paz” (Among individuals, as among nations, respect for the rights of others is peace).

Mexico’s Birthday of Benito Juarez: Traditions, Customs and Activities

During the holiday, the government of Mexico hold ceremonial wreath-laying on Hemiciclo a Juárez, a monument dedicated to the late president Juarez. The day is a public holiday and is work-free. Local leaders also visit Benito Juárez’s park monument located in other parts of the country and deliver speeches to pay their respect to their beloved leader.

Other interesting posts:

• Angola Pays Tributes on Day of the National Hero
• Liberia’s Decoration Day: On Remembering the Fallen
• Birth of the Prophet is an Islamic religious observance

St. Joseph’s Day: March 19

St. Joseph’s Day is a religious observance for Christians all over the world.

March 19 is the date on which Christians venerate St. Joseph, husband of Mary, mother of Jesus. It is a feast in which Joseph is celebrated as patron of the universal Church; he has another feast on May 1 on which Joseph, the carpenter, is celebrated as a worker.

History of St. Joseph’s Day

Not much is known about St. Joseph; the only biblical stories that mention his presence are before the birth of Jesus and during his infancy. Even so, we do know that he was married to Mary, mother of Jesus Christ, and lived in Nazareth as a carpenter and a man of faith. These are the foundations of the Christian devotion to Saint Joseph.

It wasn’t until 1129 that the first church was dedicated to him. Only later, with appreciation of Joseph as a saint in the gospels, did he become more revered. Finally in 1621, March 19 was made a feast of obligation to Saint Joseph. The devotion to Saint Joseph increased significantly from then on, and in 1870, Pius IX declared him as patron of the Catholic Church.

As Catholic tradition states that Joseph died in the arms of Mary and Jesus, he is considered the patron saint of a happy death, by being able to die peacefully in the presence of his family. Among many other things, he is also the unofficial patron saint against doubt and hesitation, for he did as he was told by the angels when Mary became pregnant and protected her from the Law of the Jews and from persecution by Herod.

St. Joseph’s Day Traditions, Customs and Activities

In countries like Portugal and Spain, Father’s Day is also celebrated on March 19. It is a day in which children prepare gifts to give to their fathers and recognize the value of their presence in their lives. The day is celebrated close to Easter, and some years it occurs during Lent. When it does, it is much more sober feast when fasting and prayer are still observed as ordinances for the Lent Season. If it happens that it falls on the same days as Holy Week, it is moved to the next available date, since Easter takes precedence in the celebrations.

In Italy this is an important day, especially in Sicily, where St. Joseph is the patron of the city. It is said that at one point, the city went through a serious drought and food was lacking. The people of Sicily prayed to St. Joseph and promised to build a big altar of food every year for him if it rained, and soon it did.

Every year in the city, and also in many other parts of Italy, a table is set with plenty of food to offer to St. Joseph, gathered by everyone from the city. The food cannot have meat, and it always has fava beans, since this was the food in abundance at the time of the drought that saved the city from famine. The table is blessed by a priest and the feast begins. At the end, the table is destroyed and three children dressed as Joseph, Mary, and Jesus as a child go from door to door asking for shelter, staying at the home of the third knocked door. This tradition was brought to the United States by Sicilian immigrants who organize city-wide events, give food to charities, and hold parades in the Italian communities all over the US.

Also in the US, something beautiful happens in the Mission of San Juan Capristano in San Juan Capristano, California. The mission was founded in 1776 by the Franciscans and a small city grew around it. A legend says that one day a shopkeeper was destroying the nests of swallows, and a Franciscan priest stopped him in defense of the birds. On St. Joseph’s Day, the swallows return to the city year after year, after spending the winter in the warm cities of the south.

In other parts of the world there are processions in the streets with the image of the saint and everybody recalls his example of sainthood and faithfulness to the voice of the Holy Spirit.

Other interesting posts:

• Palm Sunday Observed by Christians Around the World
• Feast of the Immaculate Conception Celebrated by Christians
• Ascension Day Celebrated by Christians Around the World

Daylight Saving Time: March 11

Lunar Daylight Saving Time is practiced in USA and Canada.

Lunar Daylight Saving Time or simply ‘Daylight Saving Time’ (DST) allows citizens enjoy the sunny summer afternoons by adjusting timepieces an hour in advance so that you will have less daylight in the morning but have more in the afternoon.

In the US, the clocks are adjusted one hour in advance beginning in the second week of March which is reverted back to the standard time on the first week of November in the same year. Countries belonging to the European Union, however, adjust their clocks beginning in the last Sunday of March; it ends at the last Sunday of October at exactly 1:00 a.m. Universal Time or Greenwich Mean Time.

There has been substantial benefit to DST which includes lesser car-related accident because people go home early but also is confronted with a number of issues including time-sensitive business meetings, billing schedules, recordkeeping on computers of various business enterprises, sleeping patterns among others.

American Samoa, Guam, Hawaii, the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands, the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and Arizona US states that does not participate in DST. The Navajo Nation in Arizona, however, participates in DST.

History of Lunar Daylight Saving Time

George Vernon Hudson, a British entomologist in New Zealand, a scientist who studies insects, was particularly interested in the idea of advancing clocks two hours when summer months fall to allow people to enjoy the sunlight of the summer months longer than usual. People living near the poles experience longer daylight in summer and less in the winter while those in the equator experience no changes.

The first American to informally ‘suggest’ the application of DST is Benjamin Franklin in his famous saying,

”Early to bed, and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise”

stating further that Parisians (people of Paris, France) save on candle resource by using candle much less because they have to get up early during the time of the year (summer).

However, the first to propose the idea of adjusting clocks an hour forward the standard time was George Vernon Hudson because he believed that people will get to enjoy more time outdoor if clocks are adjusted so that there is more daylight in the afternoons than in the mornings. He initially put it on paper in 1895 and followed it up four years later (1898).

In the early 20th century (1907), the original goal of the implementation of Daylight Saving Time was energy conservation, particularly the use of incandescent bulb in household but different studies as to the amount of electricity saved during DST provide contradicting results. However, despite its many issues, many people still find DST useful as it allows them to participate in outdoor activities such as sports and shop while the sun is up.

Lunar Daylight Saving Time: Traditions, Customs and Activities

The latest surveys suggest that people favor the practice of adjusting clocks an hour ahead in the summer months because they get to enjoy the time together with their families and friends in the afternoon when the sun is still up.

During the DST, restaurants and bars are prohibited by law from serving liquors from 2:00 AM once DST hit and 6:00 AM.

Because the afternoon are longer than the morning, people enjoy shopping and taking part in afterhours socio-civic group or individual hobbies. Families also get to enjoy more time with one another because parents get home early.

Other interesting posts:

• The British Summer Time (BST): UK’s Daylight Saving Time (DST)
• Summertime Ends in Europe, Ireland, and the United Kingdom
• Canada Parades on Labour Day

Baron Bliss Day of Belize: March 9

Belize is a public holiday in Baron Bliss Day.

Belize celebrates Baron Bliss Day on or about the 9th of March every year. The change in the date of the celebration may vary but usually put in the nearest weekend, that is, in the nearest Friday or Monday. The government is responsible for calling a change in the date of the celebration.

Baron Bliss Day commemorates the life of Henry Edward Ernest Victor Bliss, commonly known as Baron Bliss who was considered to be Belize’s greatest benefactor. Bliss willed his money, around USD$2 million dollars to a trust fund for the benefit of the people of Belize.

History of Belize Baron Bliss Day

Baron Bliss, also known by the title Fourth ‘Baron Bliss of the Kingdom of Portugal,’ lived between February 16, 1869 and March 9, 1926. There were speculations that Baron Bliss is member of a wealthy British Suffolk clan but was later disowned. Numerous sources also say that his association in petroleum companies allowed him to legally amassed huge amount of money which he later willed for the Belizean people.

He sailed the oceans and seas with his yacht named Sea King after contracting polio and later stumbled upon the country British Honduras, present day Belize. Other literatures state that Bliss’ was food poisoned and later died of the same illness; because of this he never got the chance to come ashore and set foot on Belizean soil.

Right before his death, Bliss’s changed his will and gave his fortune (amounted to $2 million US dollars) to a trust fund for use by the people of Belize. He was fascinated by the beauty of Belize and the warm culture of its people so he resolved to spend the rest of his days there.

The sum of money he bequeathed was later used to fund the construction of the various historical establishments including Museum in Belize City, the Belize School of Nursing, the Belize Lighthouse, and the Bliss Institute Library. Part of the money was later used for the construction of various health centers, water supply system, markets, among others.

Belize Baron Bliss Day: Traditions, Customs and Activities

During the holiday, the popular regatta or local boat races are held across the country. Cities and towns alike may hold traditional boat races and fishing tournaments as part of the holiday’s yearly tradition. The government may also hold ceremonial wreath laying in Baron Bliss Memorial Lighthouse and Park and other monuments across the country.

Today, Baron’s tomb is located in the Baron Bliss Memorial Lighthouse with inscriptions that reads:

In memory of Henry Edward Ernest Victor Bliss J.P. Of Marlow in the county of Buckingham, England.4th Baron Bliss of the Former Kingdom of Portugal. Born 16th February 1869, Died 9th March 1926 on board his yacht “Sea King” R.Y.S. in Belize Harbour. A generous benefactor of this colony.

Other interesting posts:

• Garifuna Settlement Day Celebrated in Belize
• Belize Celebrates Commonwealth Day