Ninth of March

Mom wrote of the national Ninth of March holiday:

Baron Bliss Day is celebrated with a sailing regatta, a kite-flying competition, and bicycle races.

After reading this chapter, my sister-in-law, María, told me that her first date with my brother, Alex, was on March 9th, 1986, when he invited her to a barbecue and, of course, to watch the races.

The holiday has been renamed “National Heroes and Benefactors Day” and is now observed on the Monday closest to the Ninth of March (unless it falls on a Saturday). Sadly, the regatta is a thing of the past, having been replaced by the Ruta Maya Canoe Race from San Ignacio to Belize City.