Garifuna Settlement Day

Garifuna Settlement Day, observed on November 19, celebrates the arrival and settlement of the Garifuna people in Belize. It honors a vibrant heritage shaped by Indigenous Caribbean and African roots, and recognizes the resilience, history, and enduring contributions of Garifuna communities.

The observance brings people together through drumming, dancing, singing, traditional foods, storytelling, and colorful cultural processions. It is both a joyful celebration and an opportunity to preserve and share the Garifuna language, customs, and identity with younger generations and visitors from around the world.

Garifuna Settlement Day, observed on **November 19**, commemorates the arrival of the Garinagu—the Garifuna people—on the Caribbean coast of Belize. The Garifuna emerged on the island of St. Vincent through the blending of Indigenous Caribbean and Arawak peoples with Africans who reached the island during the colonial period. After the British took control of St. Vincent, many Garifuna were forcibly deported in 1797 to Roatán, an island off the coast of present-day Honduras. From there, Garifuna communities spread along the Caribbean shores of Honduras, Guatemala, Nicaragua, and Belize.

The date recalls the arrival of Garifuna settlers at what was then called Stann Creek, now Dangriga, on **November 19, 1823**. Led by figures including Alejo Beni, the settlers established a community whose fishing, farming, seafaring, and cultural traditions became an important part of Belize’s history. Their arrival took place during a period when the region’s coastal settlements were developing under British influence, and Garifuna communities contributed significantly to the economic and social life of the colony.

The observance developed from local commemorations into a broader national celebration. Thomas Vincent Ramos, a respected Garifuna community leader, is widely associated with promoting recognition of Garifuna heritage in Belize. Although early commemorations were centered in Garifuna communities, the event gained national status in 1977, helping establish November 19 as a public holiday and giving the traditions of the Garinagu a prominent place in Belizean public life.

Today, Garifuna Settlement Day combines historical remembrance with cultural expression. Celebrations commonly include the re-creation of the Garifuna arrival, known as **Yurumein**, in which participants arrive by boat while communities welcome them with drumming, dancing, singing, and traditional foods. The day also highlights the Garifuna language, spirituality, music, and communal values, including the importance of ancestors and the sea. More broadly, its observance on November 19 recognizes the Garinagu’s resilience after displacement and their enduring contribution to Belize’s multicultural identity.