St Lucia Festival Of Lights
Festival of Lights and Renewal
The Festival of Lights and Renewal is part of the merriment of National Day, celebrated on December 13th. On this date our nation honors our patron saint and namesake, Saint Lucy. The patron saint of light, symbolizing the triumph of light conquering dark, good overcoming evil and the renewal of life.
This celebration of light culminates on the eve of Saint Lucia Day. The actual ‘Festival of Light’ under the patronage of Her Excellency, Governor General of Saint Lucia, Dame Pearlette Lousiy.
In addition the St Lucia the festival of lights includes a lantern competition. Locals create lanterns out of papier-mache, wood, metals and other materials.
These lanterns portray an array of themes calypso and soca music, historical events and buildings, mystical creatures and everyday objects. Starting the first week in December, these festivities conclude with a parade of the lanterns. Christmas musical and dance performances, the lighting of the Derek Walcott Square and a fantastic display of fireworks, all on National Day.
There has been a long tradition in Saint Lucia at this time of year. The creation of lanterns to be hung originally in doorways of homes to ‘light the way’. This has grown in more recent years into a creative competition that starts off the celebrations around the first week of December.
