The Year of the Pig: Chinese Community in Belize Celebrates its New Year

It’s the Year of the Earth Pig on the traditional Chinese calendar and over the weekend, the local Chinese community held a grand event at the SCA Compound to celebrate with Belizean friends. In attendance were representatives from various private and public stakeholders, including members of the Belize City Council, Deputy Prime Minister Patrick Faber and Governor General Sir Colville Young. News Five’s Duane Moody was there and files this report.

Duane Moody, Reporting

Traditionally, mainland China celebrates its New Year on the fifth of February and those in the Diaspora commemorate the spring festival over a fifteen-day period. For its nationals, who have migrated to other countries, the respective communities put off great parties. Across the Jewel, the Chinese Association has been organizing a series of activities with presentations at Chinese establishments where the dragon dance is displayed. It’s the Year of the Earth Pig on the traditional Chinese calendar. On Sunday, it culminated with a grand event at the SCA gymnasium in Belize City.

Chairman, Belize Chinese Association

“Today we celebrate the Chinese New Year cause we have like fifteen years we could celebrate; any day we could celebrate the New Year. We have a big community in Belize so every year we doing bigger party just like these; maybe in the future we look for some space bigger and we would do more. This year we only do it for one thousand people. Thanks for everyone for coming.”

Belize and China has maintained strong diplomatic relations over the years, helping to boost the economy. The population of Chinese nationals in the country has grown tremendously too.

Chairman

“We have over ten thousand Chinese people in Belize. Everywhere have Chinese shops and we share our country with the Belizean people. So this community coming, we help them and make all of them come together. We help and teach them to have a good relationship with Belizean people. Some people come from China but they don’t talk really good English, like I noh talk good English neither (laughs). But we wa teach them to do their business, to learn the laws of Belize…and Belizean people together.”

Duane Moody for News Five.