Culture

The culture of St. Lucia is the byproduct of an intermingling of different people coming from different cultural backgrounds and contributing their share to develop it. A mix of French, English, Caribbean and African people have thus, been greatly instrumental in shaping the culture of St. Lucia. As a result, the cityscape and architectural constructions also reflect the presence of its multicultural diversity. While visiting St. Lucia you may walk into a Catholic cathedral in Castries, the capital city you may find the building reflecting a French design with its interiors colored brightly following the African trends while the services delivered in the church follow the English patterns.

St. Lucia's cultural heritage is also reflected in its cuisine. With its rich volcanic soil, the island takes pride in being one of the leading banana exporters in the Caribbean that produces six different varieties of the fruit. The local diet includes an array of tropical fruits such as papaya, guavas, coconuts, pineapples, passionfruit, mangoes and soursops. Fresh seafood also adds to the culinary taste and variety by creating delicious curries and pepperpot stew. The national dish of the island is the Callaloo soup, prepared from green leaf, which is quite similar to spinach. The taste of St. Lucia's cuisine has gained international recognition with winning gold medals in several prestigious culinary competitions.

The culture of St. Lucia is not just reflected on the dinner table but also extends to the study table. The land has enjoyed an age-old reputation for producing intellectual and artistic talents with the Noble laureates late sir W. Arthur Lewis for Economics in 1979 and poet Derek Walcott for Literature in 1992.

A. Music

The traditional music of St. Lucia includes a combination of African rhythms and European dances such as waltz, polka and quadrille. Grande ronde, la comette and faci are some of the traditional dances of the island. The Jwe form is a part of the rural folk music of St. Lucia that is associated with full moon gatherings, beach parties and debot dances. The dance is considered to be an informal social even depicting the verbal skills of the Lucians for communicating social and political comments in a comic way. The ‘Kwadril' is also a native folk dance that originated from the European quadrille and is performed mainly at private parties along with musicians. Tru tones, Prolifik, Aimran Simmons and Rameau Poleon are some of the popular musicians of St. Lucia. Also notable are Eric Brandford, Charles Cadet and Primrose Bledman who were instrumental in rediscovering the traditional folk songs of the island in 1969 to present them in the Grenada Expo in 1969 and in the Carifesta in Guyana in 1973.

B. Language

English is the predominant and also the official language of St. Lucia. French Patios or Creole is also spoken widely all over the nation and is the unofficial language of the St. Lucians.

C. Religious Practices

The majority of the St. Lucians are Christian with ninety percent of the population being Roman Catholics. However, presence of other religious faiths is also found here that include Hindu, Muslim, Baha'i and others consisting of non-religious sects.

D. Major Events

New Year's Day: January

St. Lucia welcomes the New Year with pomp and gaiety. A number of other festivals and activities follow once the New Year celebrations are through.

Independence Day: February

St. Lucia gained independence in the year 1979. The historical day is celebrated in the month of February with great pride and a lot of festivities that include the famous Carnival with a host of shows, events, street parades and camps. Kite flying and other competitions are also an integral part of the celebrations of this short but fun-filled month.

Holy Week, Easter and Good Friday: April

The month of April observes some of the most solemn events of the Lucian Calendar reflecting the predominant presence of the Catholic traditions. One of the most notable aspects about the meal on Good Friday is a fish cake, popularly known as ‘Akwa' and a thin oval biscuit, called ‘pain d' espices'. The celebration of the Easter Sunday is similar to Christmas celebrations with gift exchanges and fetes.

The Fisherman's Feast, St. Lucia Squash Open: June

Beginning with the church service, the Fisherman's Feast is followed by merrymaking and feasting. All the boats and their sheds are beautifully decorated on this day adorning the view of the sandy beaches. The celebration continues for the entire day.

The St. Lucia Squash Open provides a meeting point for all the internationally reputed squash players playing with the amateurs but with a very competitive style.

Kid's Safari Summer: July - September

The local and the visiting children of St. Lucia are brought together in this event to know about the folk traditions, environment, history and nature of St. Lucia. The children participating in this event belong to the age group between 15 and 18. Various other activities such as bird watching, photography, canoeing, craft making and hiking are also included in this event.

International Creole Day: October

The international Creole day is celebrated with the St. Lucians joining hands with all the Creole-speaking people spread across the globe and celebrate their cultural customs together. Traditional foods, folklores and exhibitions are part of this great day.

Remembrance Day: November

As the name suggests, the Remembrance Day remembers the soldiers who participated in the two World Wars. Ceremonial parades, wreathes and parties mark the festivities observed on this day. To help the families of some of these ex-servicemen, stickers and poppies are also sold.

National Day, Christmas: December

The month of December is full of festivities and celebrations. The National Day is focused on building the nations pride with all round social, commercial, cultural, religious and sporting activities. Most of the towns and villages are decorated with lights. Various competitions are also held during this time. The year ends with a grand Christmas celebration.

E. Etiquette / Dos & Don'ts

Do's

- Always maintain proper etiquettes and courtesy in your behavior.

- Always greet people and wish them appropriately in your first meeting.

- While entering a house with a fence, stop by the gate and loudly say ‘inside'. If you do not receive any answer try again to ensure that there is nobody inside or wait till somebody responds.

Don'ts

- Do not interrupt when two people are speaking.

- Do not wear swimsuits and too short attires in public.

- Women are not supposed to go topless on the beaches, especially in the French Islands.