Belizeans Turn Out to Witness Historic Solar Eclipse
If you were outdoors witnessing Saturday’s annular solar eclipse, you were part of history, as these events are rare. Before Saturday, the last time there was a solar annular eclipse was in 2012. If you weren’t outside to see it, your next chance won’t come again until June twenty-first, 2039. That’s almost sixteen years from now. But if you couldn’t help from missing the mesmerizing event, News Five was out recording it in all its stages from the House of Culture in Belize City, and News Five’s Marion Ali brings you the highlights in the following report.
Marion Ali, Reporting
Whether you chose to be at one of the archaeological sites, or at the House of Culture, or from your own yard, if you were outside on Saturday when the Moon passed directly between the Earth and the Sun, creating what is called a ring of fire around the edges of the sun, you no doubt witnessed a historic celestial event that won’t happen again in a hurry. The cosmos had always been an important part of Maya tradition. For Felicita Cantun, a fisherwoman, she believes that the eclipse had a deeper meaning behind just the coincidence of the three celestial bodies crossing directly in each other’s path all at once.
Felicita Cantun
Felicita Cantun, Fisherwoman
“Now we know what is an eclipse. It is the Moon coming between Earth and the Sun, but at that time it was thought that something was eating the – if it is solar, well, it is the Sun – if it is Moon, something is eating the Moon, but also, we believe that it is an ending to something, an ending to something. So that is why we offer our ceremonies.”
There’s also a level of superstition that goes with these kinds of planetary events.
Felicita Cantun
“It was said that the pregnant women, it is very dangerous. Pregnant women should not go out. They should not touch themselves anywhere because if they touch themselves here, baby will be born with a big mark here. So, and to protect the babies, depending on where you are, some would put obsidian stone on their navel. Some would put a red cloth on top of the womb. Um, Some, if you don’t have no obsidian stone, some would use nails, metal, in the form of a cross on top of the belly.”
The Ministry of Education, Science, Technology and Culture organized an event at the House of Culture and provided special sunglasses so that persons who wanted to view the eclipse could have done so without harming their eyes. C.E.O in that ministry, Dian Maheia told the media that they saw it fit to bring people together for the occasion because an event like that brings together other important elements to humans.
Dian Maheia
Dian Maheia, C.E.O, Ministry of Education, Culture
“What we’re doing here today is more than just watching the eclipse together. We are bringing together elements of education, of culture, and of science and technology. We just witnessed a Maya fire cleansing ceremony. We witnessed a demonstration of Pok-ta-Pok. Now the eclipse has started. Both the ceremony and the game were explained to the viewers – everyone who was – whether you were here or you were online – you learned from watching that, from participating in that. You know, it’s a nod to our ancestors. It’s a reminder of how important it is for us to stay connected to the Earth and to all the elements that bring us to where we are.”
Students of the ITZAT STEAM Academy were also present to witness the eclipse and the traditional Maya Pok-ta-Pok game and the traditional marimba music were played. Marion Ali for News Five.
