CANATURH: Honduras and its independence

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Honduran National Chamber of Tourism - CANATURH

Oct 21, 2014, 09:06 ET

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, Oct. 21, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- The clock struck six in the morning and the cannons began to fire off a salvo stirring the hearts of millions of Hondurans as they began the celebration of their independence.

For days the whole country had been preparing itself for the big day, thousands of students and citizens of all stations awake starting in the small hours of the day, ready and eager to exhibit in public their offering to the nation, a moment of euphoric uproar hearing and singing the national anthem at the top of their lungs, eyes brimming with tears of emotion and hope at the sight of the fluttering 5-star flag – all this merely a preamble to a day fraught with profound emotion…

Like the rest of Central America, every September 15th, Honduras celebrates the date of its independence from Spain, an event that has been repeated since 1821, though each year it exhibits different nuances, and this year was no exception.

There was one message in all the different languages spoken by Hondurans, Pech, Garífuna, Maya Chortí, Lenca, Tol, Miskitu, Spanish and English; different skin colors and cultures that are the essence of a multicultural and multiethnic country were on display in the nation's most important cities and towns, from the foremost urban centers in the history of the event, such as Comayagua and Tegucigalpa, to San Pedro Sula, the industrial capital of the country, and all those others that are silent witnesses to the date that is most important to Hondurans.

Of all the celebrations, the one in Tegucigalpa sets the standard because it is the seat of the three branches of government, it has the presence of the President of the Republic and the highest officials as well as representatives of friendly countries, all of them gathered in a public ceremony at Tegucigalpa National Stadium and accompanied by more than 40,000 citizens enjoying the civic proceedings of the occasion, parades of students from schools and high schools, accompanied by their musical bands, cheerleaders and baton twirlers; artistic groups and choruses, the philharmonic orchestra and all kinds of artists, military parades, planes, helicopters and paratroopers, with popular songs and gales of applause, in an altogether unique setting where Honduras holds center stage.

It wouldn't be a complete celebration without the presence of a vastly varied offering of Honduran cuisine, dishes that identify a nation and delight the most demanding palates, sidewalk food stands and elegant restaurants festooned with flags, millions of people walking in the streets free and safe, thousands of tourists enjoying the Honduran spectacle in its highest expression, a world united by social networks where Hondurans from all parts of the planet express their feelings of pride, nostalgia and patriotism from a distance on an unforgettable day of union and devotion.

Meanwhile in the countryside, at beaches along the coast, it's the right moment for relaxing, for telling the kids about their country and its customs, for showing everyone that Honduras is a country of peace, full of human, historical and natural riches; after the celebrations subside, cities such as San Pedro Sula, Tela and La Ceiba make the most of the afternoon to enjoy it with the family, visiting a host of places in surrounding areas, places like Lago de Yojoa, Valle de Ángeles, Santa Lucia, San Lorenzo and Amapala, preparing their tables for guests who will be coming soon…

Night falls and many people are still strolling through the streets and plazas of their towns, while others gather at home to recount the emotions experienced, and the salvos of cannon fire are heard once again bringing Independence Day to an end, as the skies light up in an enchanting spectacle of colored flashes and fireworks on an unforgettable day inscribed in the heart of a nation.

Lilian Lagos
Phone: (504) 2232-1927
E-mail: [email protected]
Web: www.canaturh.org / honduras.travel

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SOURCE Honduran National Chamber of Tourism - CANATURH