Baron Bliss holiday returns to March 6th

At the end of every year the Ministry of Home Affairs issues a press release listing the precise dates of all twelve public holidays to be celebrated in the coming year. 2006 was no different except for one holiday–Baron Bliss Day–which officials can’t seem to pin down. The original schedule had the traditional March ninth day-off moved to Monday, March sixth, in keeping with the practice of creating three-day weekends. Last week, however, Belmopan reversed field and the Press Office sent out a notice that the Baron’s passing would now be observed on Friday, March tenth. No reasons for the change were given. Today we are advised by the Ministry of Home Affairs to disregard last week’s edict as the holiday has been returned to March sixth. Sources in the ministry indicate that the changing of the date from the sixth to the tenth was done mistakenly by the Attorney General’s office, which acted outside its authority.