Honduras News Stories

Garifuna Celebrate 215 Years in Honduras

Honduras commemorated the 215th anniversary of the arrival of the Garifuna people to the country, with a magnificent celebration held in the tiny town of Santa Fe in the Department of Colón, near Trujillo.




Santa Fe was chosen for the celebration because it is the only municipality in Honduras directed by a Garifuna mayor.

Public figures and people from across the world flocked to Santa Fe to experience traditional Garifuna dances and listen to the unique music created with drums, maracas, and turtle shells.

The local Garifuna performed a reinactment of the arrival of the first African descendants to Honduras on April 12, 1797.

A parade of people in colorful costume winded through the town, singing songs in the Garifuna language, and playing native instruments. The tour ended at the beach, where many enjoyed traditional foods such as cassava, fish soup, and coconut bread, with desserts made of coconut, sweet potato, honey, and bananas.

The month of April was declared African Heritage Month in Honduras when The Gazette, the official newspaper of the country, published Legislative Decree 330-2002 on the 24th of December in 2002.