Garifuna Settlement Day is a public holiday in Belize, celebrated each year on November 19.[a] The holiday was created by Belizean civil rights activist Thomas Vincent Ramos in 1941.[1] It was recognized as a public holiday in the southern districts of Belize in 1943, and declared a national holiday in 1977.[1] The holiday celebrates the settlement of the Garifuna people in Belize after being exiled from the Grenadines by the British.[2] The major festivities for the holiday occur in the town of Dangriga, including parades, street music, and traditional dancing.[3]
