2019-09-10 Tue

The 10th of September in Belize commemorates the celebration of the Battle of St. George’s Caye Day. Observed as a Public and Bank Holiday in Belize, St. George’s Caye Day is a day to pay dues to the Baymen that defended St. George’s Caye in 1798.

The Battle of St. George’s Caye was a short military engagement that lasted from 3 September to 10, 1798, fought off the coast of what is now Belize. From September 3 to 5, the Spaniards tried to force their way through Montego Caye shoal, blocked by the defenders. The Spaniards had previously attempted to expel the Settlers in the years 1716, 1724, 1733, 1747, 1751, and 1779. Thus, the 10 September 1798, marked the final attempt to take over the area.

On 10 September, the Spaniards and British lined up off St. George’s Caye. The Spaniards stormed through the channel and engaged the British in a two-hour fight which ended in defeat for the confused Spaniards. The event is celebrated every September 10 in Belize as St. George’s Caye Day or National Day.

On September 10th, Belize celebrates the Battle of St. George’s Caye. This is the time of the year when Belize dresses with its patriotic colors: blue, white and red. The parade takes off as it makes its way through the main streets of the town. Throughout the day, countless activities are held in honor of the special day, including a tug-of-war competition.

The stamps shown above were issued in the year 1998 to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the event. This is a se-tenant set of stamps with the denomination of 10 cents per stamp and shows a scene of the old bay with traditional vessels and people in traditional clothing. The stamps are inscribed with the name of the country and the denomination value at the top with the event mentioned below.

Image Courtesy: https://colnect.com

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