SAINT LUCIA LAUNCHES ” 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS”
CELEBRATE THE HOLIDAY TRADITIONS ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Dec 15, 2020
Magical sunsets light up the night sky Photo Credit SLTA
While the holiday season may look very different in 2020, Saint Lucia is keeping its Christmas traditions alive on social media with a special 12-day celebration of its distinctive and signature customs starting December 14. The 12 Days of Christmas in Saint Lucia will feature practices that span centuries and are still widely enjoyed during the holiday season such as Bamboo Bursting, Creole carol-singing, and a recipe for Black Rum Cake. The fiery art of bamboo bursting kicks off the season, where cannons are made from large bamboo canes; fuel is poured into a hole and lit. As the flames are blown, loud cannon booms can be heard throughout the island.
Masquerade parade is a Saint Lucian holiday tradition Photo Credit SLTA
One of the most memorable and thrilling Christmas traditions you’ll see, which leaves children wide-eyed in awe and excitement, is the masquerade dancers. These masqueraders, wearing cone-shaped hats and robes made of brightly colored strips of crêpe paper perform on the streets to the music of the shak-shak, drum, and flute.â â The Saint Lucia Tourism Authority (SLTA) has collaborated with the Folk Research Centre and the Cultural Development Foundation to curate a distinct 12 Days of Christmas online calendar to showcase the popular festivities, as many events are not possible this year due to Covid-19 restrictions. The content follows Saint Lucia’s national day (December 13) when the island celebrates its patron saint, Saint Lucy, making it the only country in the world named after a woman. Join the fun every day from December 14 through 25, 2020 by checking @TravelSaintLucia posts on Facebook and Instagram. See traditions such as the masquerade; Christmas folk chants; solo dancing and music; bamboo bursting; house-to-house; Séwénal; the baking of the traditional Saint Lucian Black Cake recipe; Christmas decorating; Festival of Lights; Festival of Carols; Christmas Kwéyòl and Assou Square (On the Square). Commenting on the 12 Days of Christmas in Saint Lucia, Tourism Minister Honourable Dominic Fedee said, “This is a time of year that brings hearts and homes together. While COVID-19 may change the way we celebrate this Christmas, we want to ensure that the spirit of the season is still alive with the various traditions that visitors and Saint Lucians both here and abroad, can be a part of.”
Saint Lucian Black Cake for Christmas Photo Credit SLTA
About Saint Lucia: One of the Windward Islands of the West Indies’ Lesser Antilles, Saint Lucia is nestled halfway down the Eastern Caribbean archipelago. Saint Lucia is known for its natural beauty and diverse attractions, including the signature Piton Mountains (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), a tropical rainforest, the highly-Instagrammed mud baths at Sulphur Springs Park and the world’s only drive-in volcano. Saint Lucia inspires wanderlust with new Augmented Reality (AR) filters on Instagram that transport users on a virtual experience inspired by local culture, heritage and popular island adventures. Culturally rich offerings include the bustling marketplace in the capital of Castries, quaint coastline fishing villages, and internationally inspired cuisine. Saint Lucia”s wide range of accommodations includes five-star hotels, all-inclusive resorts, intimate inns, and value-oriented properties. The destination also offers world-class cruise and yachting facilities. The island is continually recognized as one of the leading wedding and honeymoon destinations worldwide. The Saint Lucia Tourism Authority is the official destination marketing and promotion organization for Saint Lucia. Learn more at www.stlucia.org and follow on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
