Vandalism or Just Good, Traditional Fun? Carnaval In San Pedro, Belize

But a local businessman posted something this morning that made me go out and take a second look.  He wrote (allow me to paraphrase a bit):  “Carnaval…promotes the destruction and defacing of private property and makes our town look like a dump” and “Anyone who is for the continuation of this vandalism is simply not affected by the vandalism of their property.  I would be happy to come over to your house and pour 5 gallons of paint in your yard and your vehicles…” and “hanging people in the town square was also something people did some time ago and yet most civil societies have decided that it now makes no sense”. 

When I was out Sunday night there were certainly not police or parents supervising any of the painting.  Many business owners and even the town put up plastic tarps to protect their property from paint and eggs.  But was it enough?  Is this teaching kids that defacing property is “something fun” and should have no consequences?

Here are the pictures that I took this morning.  This is what is left over from days one and two…day three (today) is just getting started and day three is usually the one that brings the most paint.

Should this holiday practise continue?  Is it a charming island tradition or just destruction?  You be the judge.

The once pretty hand painted wall around the RC School.

Heritage Banks steps are a total mess.