St. Lucia's Cultural Traditions
i. the speaker's left. If the flag is displayed on a staff elsewhere than on a platform or chancel, it should be at the right of the audience or congregation as they face the speaker. It should not cover a speaker's desk or be draped in front of a platform.
THE FLAG IN A PARADE
When carried with another flag or flags, the flag of Saint Lucia should be held on the marching right or in front of the centre of the line of flags. When the flag is passing in a parade or in a review or during a ceremony of hoisting or lowering the flag, all persons present should face the flag and stand at attention.
National Flower
The virulent red of the rose still speaks to many a Saint Lucian; so does the simple marguerite flower (gomphrena). Between them spins a tale of more than two centuries, and despite imperialism, domination, and cultural invasion, the twin flower festivals of LA ROSE and LA MARGUERITE still persist, a testament to resilience.
Where, in some countries, the population may be divided into classes and castes, in the context of St. Lucia's cultural traditions, there exists two "Societies", ROSES and MARGUERITES (Bachelor's Button).
The ROSES and …show more content…
MARGUERITES are floral societies into which some members of the Saint Lucian community divide themselves. Although these floral societies remain primarily singing associations today, there was a time when they formed important segments of the island's social structure, and most persons in the community were somehow affiliated to one of the groups.
The structure of the two societies seems to indicate something of their function within colonial society. Both groups are hierarchically structured with a king and queen as head of each society and other dignitaries patterned upon the socio-economic structure of |colonial society. Thus, after the king and queen come princes and princesses, and a number of other pseudo-legal, military and professional personnel, including judges, policemen, soldiers and nurses.
Each has a patron saint on whose feast day the grand fête is held. For the ROSES it is the feast of St. Rose of Lima on the 30th of August, and for the MARGUERITES, it is St. Margaret Mary Alacoque on 17th October.
Each society holds a grand fête an elaborate and colorful event full of pomp and pageantry, which is preceded by several months of nightly singing rehearsals called "séances". Strict protocol is observed at those nightly séances with visitors or participating members, upon entering, bowing to the King and Queen present with their court . Soldiers and police in uniform enforce regulations against any disorder or breaches of protocol, or what are considered misdemeanors. Offenders are taken before a magistrate for a mock trial and then fined.
The central figure in the séance is the "shantwel" or lead singer who sustains the spirit and tenor of the evening's entertainment.
The shantwels are mostly female, but there are sometimes a number of male shantwels. The shantwel leads the song with the other members of the group acting as chorus in a call-and-response pattern. Instrumentation includes any combination of violin, banjo, quatro, guitar, shak-shak, baha, and drums. The songs and dances associated with the societies are many, but there is much more variation and spontaneity at "séances" than at the grand fête when the significance of the occasion demands more discipline. At a séance one can witness dances like the mapa, and the gwan won, while grande fête dancing is traditionally limited to quadrilles, belair, mazurka and other figure
dancing.
Presiding over the annual festivals are the "King" and "Queen" who are accompanied by their royal entourage of Princes, Princesses, Soldiers, Policemen, Doctors, Nurses, the clerical hierarchy, and supporters of the respective flowers. The grand fête is celebrated, first with church service throughout the island and after with processions throughout the streets, the principal personages magnificently attired. In the evening there is a sumptuous banquet to which dignitaries and leading personalities are invited. The rest of the evening is spent dancing. One can then witness and participate in some of the colorful folk dances, among which are the Quadrille, the Mappa, and the Belair.
THE FLAG IN A PARADE
When carried with another flag or flags, the flag of Saint Lucia should be held on the marching right or in front of the centre of the line of flags. When the flag is passing in a parade or in a review or during a ceremony of hoisting or lowering the flag, all persons present should face the flag and stand at attention.
National Flower
The virulent red of the rose still speaks to many a Saint Lucian; so does the simple marguerite flower (gomphrena). Between them spins a tale of more than two centuries, and despite imperialism, domination, and cultural invasion, the twin flower festivals of LA ROSE and LA MARGUERITE still persist, a testament to resilience.
Where, in some countries, the population may be divided into classes and castes, in the context of St. Lucia's cultural traditions, there exists two "Societies", ROSES and MARGUERITES (Bachelor's Button).
The ROSES and …show more content…
MARGUERITES are floral societies into which some members of the Saint Lucian community divide themselves. Although these floral societies remain primarily singing associations today, there was a time when they formed important segments of the island's social structure, and most persons in the community were somehow affiliated to one of the groups.
The structure of the two societies seems to indicate something of their function within colonial society. Both groups are hierarchically structured with a king and queen as head of each society and other dignitaries patterned upon the socio-economic structure of |colonial society. Thus, after the king and queen come princes and princesses, and a number of other pseudo-legal, military and professional personnel, including judges, policemen, soldiers and nurses.
Each has a patron saint on whose feast day the grand fête is held. For the ROSES it is the feast of St. Rose of Lima on the 30th of August, and for the MARGUERITES, it is St. Margaret Mary Alacoque on 17th October.
Each society holds a grand fête an elaborate and colorful event full of pomp and pageantry, which is preceded by several months of nightly singing rehearsals called "séances". Strict protocol is observed at those nightly séances with visitors or participating members, upon entering, bowing to the King and Queen present with their court . Soldiers and police in uniform enforce regulations against any disorder or breaches of protocol, or what are considered misdemeanors. Offenders are taken before a magistrate for a mock trial and then fined.
The central figure in the séance is the "shantwel" or lead singer who sustains the spirit and tenor of the evening's entertainment.
The shantwels are mostly female, but there are sometimes a number of male shantwels. The shantwel leads the song with the other members of the group acting as chorus in a call-and-response pattern. Instrumentation includes any combination of violin, banjo, quatro, guitar, shak-shak, baha, and drums. The songs and dances associated with the societies are many, but there is much more variation and spontaneity at "séances" than at the grand fête when the significance of the occasion demands more discipline. At a séance one can witness dances like the mapa, and the gwan won, while grande fête dancing is traditionally limited to quadrilles, belair, mazurka and other figure
dancing.
Presiding over the annual festivals are the "King" and "Queen" who are accompanied by their royal entourage of Princes, Princesses, Soldiers, Policemen, Doctors, Nurses, the clerical hierarchy, and supporters of the respective flowers. The grand fête is celebrated, first with church service throughout the island and after with processions throughout the streets, the principal personages magnificently attired. In the evening there is a sumptuous banquet to which dignitaries and leading personalities are invited. The rest of the evening is spent dancing. One can then witness and participate in some of the colorful folk dances, among which are the Quadrille, the Mappa, and the Belair.