by Marisol from Belize City asks Santa about the Belize Barrier Reef, learns it is the second largest reef system on Earth, and hears about Garifuna Christmas traditions
Dear Santa, my name is Marisol and I am nine years old. I live in Belize City, Belize, where my mama says our waters are so clear you can practically read a book through them, though I have never actually tried.
Dear Marisol, I have flown over those waters myself, and your mama’s description is only a small exaggeration.
Santa, I have three questions.
My first question is, what is a Christmas reef? My friend asked me that and I honestly was not sure if it was a real thing or just a funny way of saying wreath.
You caught a fun little mix-up there, Marisol. A Christmas wreath is the round decoration people hang on doors, while a reef is an underwater structure, though Belize happens to have one of the most famous reefs in the entire world, so it is an easy word to mix up living where you do.
My second question is about our ocean. My teacher says our reef is one of the biggest in the whole world, second only to the one in Australia. Is that true?
It is true, Marisol. The Belize Barrier Reef is the second largest coral reef system on Earth, after Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, and flying along the coastline near it each Christmas Eve, the water shifting shades of turquoise below, is one of the most beautiful sights on my entire route.
My third question is about Garifuna traditions. My neighbors celebrate Christmas with drumming and a special kind of dancing that is different from what my own family does. What is that tradition about?
The Garifuna people, an important part of Belize’s cultural heritage, celebrate Christmas with distinctive music, drumming, and dance traditions passed down through generations, blending African, Caribbean, and Central American influences into something entirely their own. I always enjoy how many different, beautiful ways there are to celebrate the very same season within one small country.
Merry Christmas, Santa.
Your friend,
Marisol Castillo
Belize City, Belize
P.S. Do the reindeer like flying over the reef?
Very much, Marisol. Cupid in particular cannot resist the view.
