Where is the Christmas Cheer?

A friend of mine got on the bus a few days ago and was telling me that while sitting there he couldn’t help but notice that the usual happy faces you see at Christmas time on the buses and around Belize was missing.  Instead of the bright smiles and happy faces what he saw was the stress of people trying to figure out how they will make it through this holiday season.

It is a common belief in Belize that the Christmas season brings with it its own money, and for many Belizeans this year this is more of a hope and a prayer.  Whether the idea came as a result of the generosity of the many business persons who at Christmas time usually give a bonus to their staff, or whether relatives abroad send a little extra at Christmas, most Belizeans figure out a way to make Christmas meaningful for their family, especially the children.

So far this Christmas season there seems to be a shortage of good cheer.   The bright smiles and happy faces, the excitement of the season and the Christmas parties are not what people are talking about.    The bright lights that usually adorn people’s homes are slow to appear; even the many Christmas Specials on the radio seem to be less than the year before.  People seem to have put the festivities of the season on hold.

So what is it about this holiday season that has Belizeans less merry and bright?  Of course it has been a long time since Belizeans have had such a tough time making ends meet.  Indeed many Belizeans are still trying to figure out how to cope with the rising cost of living.  Those who have lost their jobs as a result of the recession as well as those being laid off because of government related contracts are struggling to find a new job.   Even those who have jobs must be worried about the uncertainty.  We are told that the recession will continue into next year, which means that before this is all over, others will lose their jobs.  This too can add to the feeling of uncertainty that is hanging over so many Belizeans.

On a psychological level, the crime situation has escalated to levels where everyone is now living in a state of fear.  At present more Belizeans carry guns for their own safety than before and many people, while at home live under lockdown, fearing that they will be the next victim of a home invasion. No wonder Belizeans see nothing to smile about even at this most festive time of year.

Speaking specifically to the Christmas Season, someone called into one of the radio stations to say that: “Things dread this Christmas; another person said that this is going to be a ‘Barrow’ Christmas.” While I am not sure what that is supposed to mean, I think the caller was implying either that one will have to ‘borrow’ money to make it through the holiday season or that only people who were in good graces with the Barrows could expect a merry Christmas.  Whichever of these interpretations you consider neither is what Belizeans expected when they elected this government.

It was Mr. Barrow who told Belizeans to “hold hope high,” and it was also Mr. Barrow who said that in 2008 we would begin to “realize the possibilities.” No one expected this to mean high inflation, recession, job cuts and corruption – after all Mr. Barrow was the poster child for anti corruption.

Whether it is the pressure from the dismal economic situation in Belize, fear and frustration over the violence in the streets or total frustration over all the broken promises of this Barrow administration, it is a serious indictment of Dean Barrow and his Government that in this holiday season and in this time of joy Belizeans can only say of Barrow’s second Christmas as Prime Minister that things “dread.”