Happy Birthday Honduras!

Today, September 15, Honduras celebrates 199 years of independence, happy birthday Honduras. It has been a rough ride for sure, with different attempts to forge its heritage. Independence began by joining the Empire of Augustin 1st of Mexico for one year. After the government of Agustin de Iturbide collapsed in Mexico, Honduras, together with the Central American provinces of Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica went through the trials and tribulations of being independent countries or part of a Central American Republic. In the end, despite the efforts led by Honduran born Francisco Morazán to create the Central American Republic, Honduras became an independent country. The efforts of Honduras for this union can be seen today in its flag. This is why the Honduras flag has 5 stars, each one representing one of the 5 central American republics.

No Parades This Year!

Normally, Honduras celebrates its independence month with parades, lots of parades. These take place in every community. Regardless of whether you are in the capital, or the smallest village, you will enjoy several days of parades during the month. For two months prior to Independence Day, every school in Honduras has their local bands practicing. In the days prior to the celebration, they even take out to the streets to practice! To be honest, the sounds of drums beating in every school can be nerve racking! Getting caught in a traffic jam because the school kids are practicing for the parade is no fun either.  However, it is always nice to see the parades with kids dressed up. They seem to be doing their absolute best to honor their country. It is their own way of saying: Happy Birthday Honduras!

In lieu of celebrations this year, I did get to see a group of navy cadets standing guard at La Ceiba central Park this year. They looked smart in their uniforms as they stood under the hot sun in the middle of the day. This year, the Covid 19 pandemic has kept the schools closed, and of course, there were no parades. I do hope that next year, when Honduras and the rest of Central America celebrate the bicentennial of their independence, we will have somehow overcome this lock-down and be well on our way to recovery. Only time will tell…