And the Crown Goes to…(drum roll please!)

After about a month’s time of being in Belize, it became quite clear to me that Belizeans take their beauty pageants pretty darn seriously. Not only do they take them seriously, but they have one for just about every holiday, geographical location, ethnicity, and then one for a combination of all three. And beauty pageants are not just for the girls, no sir. The boys partake in such pageants as Mr. Garifuna and other such titles.

Despite the fact that I have had many opportunities to attend such pageants, I had yet to attend one, in all honesty due to the fact that my financial funds have been low and I have chosen to buy a Beliken Beer (practically the only beer available in Belize and is not the greatest tasting) here and there rather than a ticket to a pageant. Fortunately for me, I guess I could say that my luck has changed.

This past week was yet another party filled holiday here in Belize, Garifuna Settlement Day. This holiday celebrates the coming to Belize of the Garifuna men who traveled by boat from Honduras to settle on the main shores of Belize. Each year around this time, the local high school holds their Miss Culture Pageant, celebrating the various cultures of Belize. A female representative of each ethnic group in Belize fights for the prestigious title by displaying her knowledge of her ethnicity’s culture and language.

The pageant usually consists of six ethnic groups: Garifuna, Creole, Mestizo, Mopan Maya, and K’eckchi Maya. This year, the competition was spiced up when the first ever Irish contestant (the only white girl in the school) decided to go into battle for the crown - This is where I come in! In order for the competition to be judged fairly, a representative of each culture serves as a judge on the panel. Due to the fact that my roommate works at the high school, there aren’t many Irish people roaming around Punta Gorda, my funds still being low due to holiday celebrations, and my genuine interest in the crazy world of Belizean beauty pageants, I decided to take the seat (and the free entry) of the Irish Judge.

The night of the pageant I threw on my bright green polo shirt, strapped on my orange pumas, tied on my shamrock necklace, and made my way to the sporting complex. As the pageant started in front of a crowd of about 150 individuals, I began to see just how passionate each contestant was about their own ethnic group and all of the beautiful music, dancing, and language that each had to offer. It was a wonderful sight to watch the young females work to preserve their culture and educate others on all that each group brings to Belize. There was a great moment in the pageant when all seven contestants performed a choreographed dance which included traditional dances of all of the ethnic groups – from Irish step dancing to the Garifuna boat rowing. It was amazing to see how proud of their own culture they were and yet at the same time how open they were to all of the other cultures of Belize.

My favorite moment of the competition however was definitely the Maya K’eckchi contestant’s talent portion. The stage was set up as a traditional Maya K’eckchi home – from the thatched roof chicken coop with chickens inside to a blazing fire on stage where she made corn tortillas. The contestant was demonstrating the hard work that a K’eckchi woman does each day. The shocker came not only when she lit a fire on stage, but more when she took the mother hen out of the chicken coop. She walked to the center of the stage holding then hen by the feet, immediately I knew what was coming next. I turned to the judge next to me and asked if she thought she was actually going to do what I thought she was going to do. One second later, the contestant grabbed the neck of the chicken, twisted it a bit, and gave it a fierce and quick pull – KILLING THE CHICKEN ON STAGE! I died. The crowd’s and judge’s reactions were absolutely priceless – a mix of screams, curses, and hysterical laughter. Needless to say, I gave her the top score for the talent portion.

Three hours and forty five minutes later (no lie – I told you Belizeans take these pageants seriously!), it was time for the judge’s decision. With this amount of time invested in the pageant, I was honestly a little nervous for the results. I guess I got a little wrapped up in the hype of it. In the end, the crown for Miss Culture 2008-2009 was given to Miss Maya Mopan with Miss Ireland coming in second (REPRESENT!) and Miss Maya K’eckchi coming in third. I was quite pleased with the results as these were my top three choices as well.

Serving as a judge for the Miss Culture Pageant is something I will probably never forget – more due to its ridiculousness and hilarity than anything else. I guess it’s just another thing to add to my resume – Irish Judge for the 2008-2009 Belizean Miss Culture Pageant. I’m sure my parents are very proud of me.

Oh life in Belize, you never fail to amaze me.


(Happy Thanksgiving to all of you back home!)