175 Years Ago Today...

On February 27, 1844, the Dominican Republic officially severed from Haiti, making it the first and only Caribbean nation to gain independence from another Caribbean nation and meaning that today has henceforth been celebrated as a national holiday.

I'd botch it up miserably if I tried to recount the whole story; that's what Google's for. Here's a look at some of the pomp and circumstance that went down at a local [private] school, though. Independence Day in the US is during summer break, but nothing of this caliber happens for those civic holidays that do fall during the school year.

We left after all the kids we knew had performed, but there were multiple costumed groups still waiting in the wings! 

Obviously the Dominican national anthem featured prominently in all of this. I'd been curious about the lyrics for some time now, so what better time to look them up? Here's Wikipedia's unofficial English translation of the portion typically performed in the public sphere (there are 8 more verses!):  

Brave Quisqueyans,

Let’s raise our song with vivid emotion,

From the world to the face of the earth

Show our unconquered glorious banner.

Hail, the nation who strong and intrepid,

Into war launched itself set to die

When in a warring challenge to the death

Its chains of slavery still it cut off.

No people deserves to be free

If it’s an indolent slave and servile;

If in its chest doesn't grow the flame

that forged virile heroism.

But Quisqueya the brave and indomitable

Always proudly her forehead will raise

For if she were a thousand times a slave

This many times to be free she will know.

*Quisqueya is the indigenous word for Hispaniola; quisqueyans thus, are its inhabitants. 

Until next time, blessings!