MAYA 2012 CALENDAR OF EVENTS – Descriptions



Link to PDF Calendar: http://www.belizedev.com/belizemaya2012/images/stories/PDF/MAYA-2012-CALENDAR-OF-EVENTS-Descriptions.pdf

For more info on Maya 2012 in Belize: http://www.belizedev.com/belizemaya2012/the-experiences/event-calendar.html





January

January 11th – Public Lecture - Bliss Institute

The 2012 year will commence with lecture at the Bliss Institute from 7pm to 9pm. This lecture will focus on Scientific Achievements of the Maya which should come at no better time than the end of a great cycle and the beginning of another. Lecture will be delivered by Dr. Jaime Awe Director of the Institute of Archaeology.



January 21st – Maya Festival - Cahal Pech

The Maya 2012 committee is planning a fest which will feature cultural events, and

performances by local indigenous groups such as the Euphoria Dance Group, Pablo Collado and Marimba music to be staged at the site of Cahal Pech from 1pm – 5pm. Local and indigenous food will be on sale.



January 25th – Health Week – Belmopan

To coincide with one of the Maya’s great achievement and well respected tradition of healing, the use of herbal medicine and in an effort to show their ability and tradition of this culture, a traditional Healers conference/workshop is planned for January 25th from 9am – 5pm at the George Price Conference Room in Belmopan. The Healers Conference/Workshop plans to bring together Indigenous Maya Healers from all over the country to discuss traditional medicine and healing and to chart a way forward to insure the survival of this practice and the jungle from which these “pharmaceuticals” are grown and extracted.



February

February 18th – Maya Festival – Kinich Ahau Art Exhibit

Altun Ha Maya Fest and Kinich Ahau Art Exhibition - This is an annual event where the village of Rock stone Pond come together to have a Fest just off the grounds of the well known Archaeological site of Altun Ha. This event features the sale of local craft, food, drinks, entertainment and exhibits. Tour of the site is a must as the site is located just off from the festive area.



March

March 8th - 11th – La Ruta Maya River Challenge

La Ruta Maya River Challenge is an annual event featuring hundreds of canoe racers, national and internationals, of different categories and classes participating in this four day river challenge along the Old Belize River from San Ignacio to Belize City for a distance of 172 mile. Come and experience paddlers canoeing the very route that the Maya took and use for their trade and commerce and as a mean of communication and modus of transportation some 2000 years ago. This race is planned in four stages with each stage stopping to rest and overnight at one of the quaint River Valley communities along the Belize River and culminating at the Belcan Bridge into the Old Capital – Belize City.



March 9th - National Heroes and Benefactors Day

National Heroes and Benefactors Day is a travelling exhibition that travels the country for the

entire month featuring some of the prominent national Heroes and Benefactors of Belize. Come and see and learn of the faces that built Belize.



March 16th, 17th, and 18th - Succotz Fiesta

San Jose Succotz Fiesta - This is an annual fair held at the western village of San Jose Succotz in honor of their patron Saint – Saint Joseph. This fair features a hog head dance, the sale of traditional food, music and dance.



March 21st - Equinox at Caracol

The Equinox is a time when the sun is directly at midpoint of the Earth making both the days and the nights of equal length. To capture this event, the Ancient Maya build specific buildings that mark the alignment of such rare celestial occurrences. For such recording or for the marking of such event, the Maya built what is referred to as E – groups which are basically a series of three mounds alongside each other with a fourth (another) mound in the front that record through alignment, the position of the sun. Witness this “phenomenon” at Caracol.



April

April 1st – 28th – Archeological Travel Exhibition

Archaeological Travel Exhibition - The travelling Exhibition is exactly what it says – It is an

exhibition with varied and selected pieces of archaeological objects and artifacts from the

national collection along with relevant information on the pieces and general information on

archaeology that travels to all major municipalities in the country. This affords the communities in the more rural areas a chance to experience some of the archaeological pieces and cultural heritage that our country has to offer. It also affords teachers, educators and enthusiasts in particular, a chance to gather educational information on our cultural heritage.



April 23rd – 27th - Book Week

This event is usually held in Belize City – the urban capital and aims at returning reading and

literary education to all schools and young people. Basically it is a social educational campaign to try and bring back literacy through books and reading – a challenging but worthwhile one especially given the electronic age.



May

May 25th, 26th, & 27th - Toledo Cacao Fest

The Toledo Cacao Fest is a three day event featuring the Maya and Cacao. Food, exhibits and information features the various ways the Maya utilized the Cacao bean whether for ceremonial purposes or as a utilitarian item. This fest also look at varied ways in which contemporary cacao is used today, with a touch of other festive acts in culture, tradition and contemporary events.



June

June 16th - Lamanai Canoe Challenge

This is a triathlon featuring Canoeing, running, and cycling. Participants will run from La Milpa (an Archaeological reserve) to Chan Chic, cycle from Chan Chic to Gallon Jug and then canoe from Gallon Jug down the New River to culminate at the New River Lagoon at the Lamanai Archaeological Reserve.



June 21st – Caracol Solstice

Caracol Solstice same as the Equinox only the alignment will record the northern most position of the sun (at the North Pole). The Equinox is a time when the sun is directly at midpoint of the Earth making both the days and the nights of equal length. To capture this event, the Ancient Maya build specific buildings that mark the alignment of such rare celestial occurrences. For such recording or for the marking of such event, the Maya built what is referred to as E – groups which are basically a series of three mounds alongside each other with a fourth (another) mound in the front that record through alignment, the position of the sun. Witness this “phenomenon” at Caracol.



July

June 4th – 6th - Belize Archaeological Symposium

This is an annual symposium held by the Institute of Archaeology, National Institute of Culture and History to provide a forum for all professional archaeological researchers, or related researchers working in Belize to disseminate their information and archaeological finds and findings to the wider public. Papers are compiled and are published in an annual volume. All are invited to sit in the lectures and presentations.



July - Belize International Film

This event provides the forum for international film producers and others in the industry to visit Belize and to explore possibilities of having Belize involved.



September

September 22nd Caracol Autumnal Equinox – Same as above – only that it occurs in autumn this time. The Equinox is a time when the sun is directly at midpoint of the Earth making both the days and the nights of equal length. To capture this event, the Ancient Maya build specific buildings that mark the alignment of such rare celestial occurrences. For such recording or for the marking of such event, the Maya built what is referred to as E – groups which are basically a series of three mounds alongside each other with a fourth (another) mound in the front that record through alignment, the position of the sun. Witness this “phenomenon” at Caracol.



October

October 19th – 21st - World Indigenous Music Festival

This event brings together a number of indigenous groups from around the world to perform in one setting. Come witness indigenous musical cultural explosion.



November

November 22nd – 24th Dance Ex. Belize City



December

December 21st Cahal Pech Closing Festival

The closing event at Cahal Pech will feature an evening of events with performances, indigenous music, cultural dances, marimba music, “fire ceremony” food and drinks.