49 Interesting Facts About Honduras

Last updated on September 29th, 2022

41. Hurricane Mitch was a Category 5 hurricane that hit Honduras on October 26, 1998. It caused widespread devastation across the country, destroying about 70% of agricultural crops. Mudslides swept away entire villages and killed thousands. One year later, over 2,000 Hondurans still lived in temporary shelters after losing their homes.

42. Hondurans celebrate their Independence Day on September 15. At around the same time, another national holiday known as Fiesta Catracha is celebrated.

43. Most Hondurans – about 90% – are mestizo. This refers to people who have mixed ancestry, usually European and specifically Spanish. Although many locals have dark hair and brown eyes, there are also individuals who have blond hair and blue eyes.

44. One of the most famous dances in Honduras is the Punta, which is also called bunda or banguity. It is a festive social dance that depicts joy and celebrates culture. The punta dance is a sort of mating dance that mimics the courtship of a man and a woman. Overall, the dance is a celebration of the continuity of life.

45. The Fish Rain in Honduras: yes, you heard us right. It rains fishes in the country. Referred to as Lluvia de Peces or “Rain of Fish,’ the event is said to occur at least once a year in the tiny town of Yoro. No one really knows what causes it but in the 1970’s, the event was recorded by a National Geographic team. The fishy rains still occur and locals point out that the fishes that drop from the skies are not local and they are only native to the Atlantic Ocean located almost 200 kms away!

46. Music Festivals: very few tourists know that Honduras has some of the best music festivals in the world. The festivals are large and lively with street parades, great street food, and some of the best local parties. If you have the time, you should try to visit the Semana Santa, The Punta Gorda Festival, the Feria de San Isidro, and the National Garifuna Festival.

47. The Sawdust Alfombras of Comayagua: one of the most intriguing events of Honduras are the Sawdust Alfombras of Comayagua. On Good Friday morning, Comayagua locals use colored sawdust to created religious scenes on public streets. Teams of locals work together for hours to create the intricate images but these same images are stamped out immediately when the local priest takes out a procession marking the Stations of the Cross. This is a wonderful event to view and of course, the Easter celebrations that come on the following Sunday are an event to behold as well.

48. The Lost City of The Monkey God: in March 2015, archeologists stumbled across an entire lost city buried hip-deep in the dense Honduran jungles. The team named the city as the ‘Monkey God City,’ and found sculptures, earthworks, residences, and burial mounds as well. Locals state that the lost city was a mystical Eden or Garden of Paradise where local retreated to hide from foreign invaders. The local legends also state that the city contained hidden reserves of gold and a giant gold statue of the monkey god.

49. The Beautiful Río Plátano Biosphere Reserve: Honduras has one of the most complex and intricate biospheres in the world. The tropical forests contain some of the rarest plants, animals and birds in the world. The Río Plátano Biosphere Reserve in particular is a UNESCO heritage site and a must-visit even if you don’t like animals, plants, and birds! The site is also home to more than 2000 indigenous tribes that still follow their traditional lifestyle in the biosphere.

Local Legends

For travelers interested in oral lore, Honduran folklore has some of the most interesting legends and stories. Myths about the Las Ciguapas or savage women with supernatural powers, El Sílbon or an omen of death, Los Duendes or infant ghosts who have a naughty intention, and La Llorona, a ghost who drowns children; are all popular oral culture that make for an interesting hearing.

About the flag of Honduras

Honduras started using a blue-white-blue triband flag in 1823 when it became part of the United Provinces of Central America.

The country continued to use this flag design even after the dissolution of the union in 1838.

On the 16th of February, 1866, President José María Medina ordered five blue stars to be added to the white band (as in meshes on dice or X pattern).

In 1898, a few changes gave the flag of Honduras an alternative version in which the five stars were arranged to form an upward-facing arc. There was no official law regarding the exact shade of blue, but navy blue was the most popular, especially in the military forces.

Between 1896 and 1898, Honduras joined the Greater Republic of Central America, introducing another unofficial flag design with golden stars. However, the position of the five stars was changed.

This followed shortly after the 1866 presidential decree amendment on the 26th of January 1949. Moreover, the government passed a bill that defined turquoise as the correct shade for the stripes. Nevertheless, the navy blue shade prevailed for the next 73 years.

Only after Xiomara Castro was sworn in on the 27th of January 2022 did the Honduran government begin flying turquoise flags. Hondurans celebrate Flag Day every the 1st of September.

Inspired by the Argentine Flag

According to some historians, the Argentine flag inspired the design of the Honduran flag.

Around 1819, Argentine-French pirates arrived at El Realejo port in Nicaragua and took over various Spanish ships after defeating the army guarding the habor. Immediately, the pirates hoisted the flag of Argentina, something that gave Manuel Jose Arce an idea for the first flag design of Central America.

The flag was first waved in the United Provinces of Central America in 1822.

About the Flag of Honduras: The Meaning of Stars and Colors

The origin of the stars on the Honduran flag is best described by traveling back in time when Spain colonized most parts of America. The struggle for independence started in 1810 in Queretaro and Guanajuato, now Central Mexico. An administrative center- Capitania General de Guatemala- was set up to administrate the colonies better, including Nicaragua, Soconusco, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Chiapas, El Salvador, and Honduras.

Today, the five stars represent Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador, Costa Rica, and Nicaragua (the original members of the Central American federation). They also imply that the five nations might unite someday.

Proportions and Shape

The height-to-width ratio of the Honduran national flag is 1:2. The three bands are of equal dimensions, while the five blue stars are five-pointed.

However, Honduras’ civil ensign is different from its national flag — besides the tri-band, it has a coat of arms on the white band, and the stars are set to form an arc below it.

Colors

Blue represents the Pacific and Caribbean seas which are the shoreline of Honduras.

A middle white band is an emblem of patriotism, peace, prosperity, and hope for a bright future. It also speaks for the land sitting between North Pacific and North Atlantic oceans.

The two colors echo the natural character of the Hondurans because they love peace, brotherhood, and purity.

Honduras – quick facts and statistics