In Brief
- The Claim: Social media blogs alleged that the Belize government banned Garifuna Settlement Day decorations on all state buildings.
- The Clarification: Officials explained that an October 29 internal memo only applied to the Treasury Department and was actually aimed at restricting Halloween decorations after staff complaints.
- The Celebration: The government reaffirmed its commitment to celebrating the November 19 national holiday with the ‘respect it deserves.’
BELMOPAN, Belize (CMC) – The Government of Belize has denied social media reports claiming that Garifuna Settlement Day decorations have been banned from government buildings, moving to clarify the contents of an internal memo from the Treasury Department.
In an official statement, the government acknowledged an internal memo dated October 29, 2026, which directed that only decorations for the September Celebrations and Christmas would be officially sanctioned within the Treasury Department and its sub-treasuries.
However, officials pushed back against how the document was interpreted online, noting that “some blogs on social media have erroneously concluded that Government has instructed that no Garifuna Settlement Day decorations are allowed on or around any government buildings countrywide.”
“The Government of Belize would like to clarify that the internal memo, which referred only to the Treasury Department and sub-treasuries, was written in reference to Halloween decorations, to which some persons took offence for religious or personal reasons,” the statement explained.
Observed annually on November 19, Garifuna Settlement Day is a national public and bank holiday in Belize. It marks the arrival of the Garinagu (Garifuna) people—descendants of West African, Arawak and Kalinago people—who were exiled from St Vincent and the Grenadines by the British.
The government also used the opportunity “to advise social media users that not everything on that forum is accurate,” adding that it looks “forward to celebrating Garifuna Settlement Day, as is done every single year with the fanfare, celebration, and respect it deserves.”
