Braids, Nails, and Holiday Cheer: Looking Beautiful Just in Time for Christmas

Just two days to go before Christmas, and across Belize, the holiday hustle is in full swing. Shops are buzzing, last-minute gifts are flying off the shelves, and everyone’s putting the finishing touches on their celebrations. And of course, it wouldn’t be Christmas without a little glam. Women are flocking to salons for fresh braids and festive nails, because looking your best is part of the tradition. In tonight’s Kolcha Tuesday, we stopped by Erica Howard’s salon on Faber’s Road, where she and her daughters are working their magic to make sure everyone feels beautiful for the big day. Here’s News Five’s Britney Gordon with the story.

 

Britney Gordon, Reporting

Just two days to Christmas, and salons across the country are packed, every chair taken. Everyone wants to look good just in time for the holidays. It’s a simple fact that stylists and nail technicians know well. Christmas bookings kick off as soon as summer ends. Erica Howard, owner of Braids, Weave & Curls by Mich in Belize City, has been doing hair for over a decade. These days, she knows the Christmas rush is coming.

 

Erica Howard, Owner, Braids, Weave & Curls by Mich

“Oh my God. Christmas time, once you see. Once you set a September rush finish, I start taking appointments for Christmas because a lot of people will do October and Halloween yes and November kinda have ih lee slow crowd. But December bookings, oh my God, like the last week inna of December, I was completely booked for this week I was completely booked out for this week. I have bookings up till January the fourth for 2026.”

 

 

 

Howard notes that during this season, customers tend to get creative, opting for trendy wigs and stylish braids. In Belize, hair braiding is deeply rooted in African, Garifuna and Mayan tradition as a symbol of cultural pride and artistic expression. As Christmas rolls around and everyone dresses up for the holiday, it provides many women with the opportunity to try a new look for the season.

 

 

 

 

Erica Howard

“It’s very tied in Belize culture. Women like look good. Everybody wa look good and they just need that occasion. So many ah ney, paid they need a fresh look. They need da,  I need fi look good.”

 

But hair isn’t the only way women are dressing up for the season. New clothes, chic shoes, and naturally, a fresh manicure to complete the look. At the Salon, Howard works closely with her two daughters, Lissa and Annelies. While Annelies joins her mother in braiding, Lissa, owner of Pretty Snatched, is hard at work filing and painting a unique set of holiday nails for each of her clients.

 

 

 

Lissa Howard, Owner, Pretty Snatched

“It’s good. Mostly Christmas designs. Mostly red. Mostly white. A lot of snowflake.”

 

 

 

 

 

Britney Gordon

“Is there a rush around this time of year?”

 

Lissa Howard

“Yes. A big rush. Everyone wants to look good for the Christmas season, including myself.”

 

 

 

 

Howard’s regular customers know to book their appointments early, but the season also brings a steady stream of new faces, as women decide to try something new. It’s Patricia Witty’s first attempt at braiding her hair, after noticing her friends flock to salons year after year.

 

Patricia Witty, Customer

“This is my first time doing my hair. I got a recommendation to do it with her, my friend does it. I know teachers and a lot of people that recommended me to do it with her, so it’s my first time and I guess I’m gonna love it. I’m gonna love it. I know everybody likes it yeah.”

 

 

 

 

 

Britney Gordon

“So what made you want to do it this time?

 

Patricia Witty

“Christmas. And the pictures and everybody’s doing it. So I’m just curious to know how it’s gonna look on me.”

 

 

 

 

While the Howard women love the work they do, they admit that it can be tiring. Erica shares that work often stretches past midnight, and even then, she heads home to continue her own Christmas preparations. Despite the exhausting schedule, she remains thankful for the opportunities her job provides for her and her daughters.

 

Erica Howard

“Annelies, like I told you, She’s deaf. She can’t speak or hear, but she does here pretty well. And she got her own clients because she’s the one that she acess those corn roads and she got her own clients. And then my daughter going nails and I said some things. This could be a good thing, you know.”

 

 

 

A trip to the salon can mean looking photo-ready just in time for Christmas, but it can also be a bonding experience between customers and clients as they revel in the joy of the season and take pride in the creative journey they shared. Britney Gordon for News Five.