La Rose and La Marguerite: Saint Lucia's Flower Festivals

What are La Rose and La Marguerite?

La Rose and La Marguerite are Saint Lucia's two flower societies, rival singing groups that each hold a grande fête with a church service, a street procession, a banquet and dancing. La Rose falls on 30 August and La Marguerite on 17 October, and they are among the oldest living traditions on the island.

Each society is a community organisation with a king and queen, a royal court and a repertoire of songs in Kwéyòl. Members spend months rehearsing in the evenings, and the festival days bring together families, friends and visiting societies from across the island. The flowers themselves, the rose and the marguerite, became Saint Lucia's national flowers after a competition in September 1985.

Our culture and traditions guide introduces the societies and their friendly rivalry, and our festivals and events guide places them in the island's calendar. This page adds the detail you need to understand what you are watching: where the societies came from, how the all-night séances work, how the festival day unfolds and how to attend without intruding.

Where did the societies come from?

Nobody knows for certain. The Folk Research Centre notes that the origins of both societies are unknown, and it cites an early nineteenth century writer who found the history of the Antilles too obscure to trace them. Another writer, Midgett, wrote that both societies were born in Saint Lucia during slavery, and that is the view most widely repeated today.

The idea is that enslaved people formed groups for mutual support, helping each other in hard times, much as cooperative work groups did in other parts of the Caribbean and in West Africa. Wikipedia compares them to the dokpwé of Dahomey, the coumbite of Haiti and the egbe associations of the Yoruba, and notes that membership was at times illegal and that the Catholic Church condemned the societies. They survived, changed and became more commercial over time, and as other organisations took over savings and social security roles, the societies focused on solidarity through recreation.

The societies took the shape of a miniature kingdom, with a king and queen, princes, princesses and other roles such as police, soldiers, doctors and nurses. That borrowing from the colonial world may have started as an echo of the plantation hierarchy, but it became a way to enjoy rank, ceremony and humour on the community's own terms. To understand the history behind it, read our guide to slavery and emancipation.

What happens at a séance?

The societies prepare for months before each feast day. They meet for séances, which are all-night singing and dancing sessions held usually at weekends. A hall is rented if the society does not own one, drinks are sold and games are played, and the takings pay for costumes and the feast. A séance is a social evening as much as a rehearsal, with a great deal of laughter.

The chantwèl, or lead singer, is the central figure. The chantwèl sets the spirit and tone of the evening, and in most groups the best singers are women with strong voices and a store of verses. Songs are sung in Kwéyòl and praise the flower, the society and its members, with room for wit and improvisation, and our guide to languages and Kwéyòl explains the language they use.

Etiquette at a séance is part of the fun. Visitors and members bow to the king and queen on entering, and police and soldiers in uniform enforce the rules. Anyone who offends protocol can face a mock trial before a magistrate and be fined, with the money going to the society. The most popular séance dance is the mapa, a kind of circle dance, and the quibishe is also performed. The séances show more variety and spontaneity than the grande fête.

What happens on the day of the grande fête?

The feast day begins with a church service. Services are held across the island, and members attend dressed in the clothes of their roles. That link with the church is deliberate, because the festivals fall on the feast days of saints, Saint Rose of Lima on 30 August and Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque on 17 October. Our religion guide explains how the societies and the church have lived together.

A street procession follows. The principal members, the king, queen and their court, are richly dressed, and they walk through the streets with their supporters, singing as they go. Police and soldiers in uniform walk with the court, and the parade is part ceremony and part carnival.

In the evening there is a banquet for dignitaries and leading members, followed by dancing. The folk dances include the quadrille, the mapa and the belair, and the Folk Research Centre adds that figure dances such as lancers have long been danced, with some ballroom-style dancing in recent years. Our music and dance guide explains the rhythms behind them.

How do the two festivals differ?

The two festivals share a structure, and each has its own society, saint and flower. La Woz honours Saint Rose of Lima and the rose, and La Magwit honours Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque and the marguerite. The marguerite is not a daisy, despite the name, but a small magenta globe flower, Gomphrena globosa, which looks a little like clover.

Each society presents itself as the older and the better, and rivalry is part of the show. Supporters tease each other, and tradition pairs a society with a day of the week and a flavour of performance, as our culture guide explains. At the end of the season, the two flowers share a national role. Saint Lucia's two national flowers were chosen in September 1985, and you can read more in our guide to national symbols and holidays.

For a visitor, the practical difference is the calendar. La Rose falls in late August, in the wetter part of the year, and La Marguerite falls in mid-October. Both are community events, and neither runs on a tourist timetable.

The songs deserve a word of their own. They are call and response pieces, with the chantwèl singing a line and the chorus answering, and the verses can be about the flower, the society, a rival, a bit of local gossip or a joke at someone's expense. Because they are in Kwéyòl and full of local reference, you may not follow every word, but the rhythm, the clapping and the way the room responds carry a lot of meaning. Listen first, and join the chorus once you feel the pattern.

Costume is part of the pleasure. Members dress to show their rank in the society, and the king, queen and court usually wear their finest, with sashes, hats and colours linked to their flower. Colours and details differ between societies and from year to year, so treat any single description with caution and look at what the people in front of you are wearing.

How can visitors watch with respect?

There are no tickets, and there is no single venue. The festivals take place in villages and towns across the island, and the details are usually announced locally in the weeks before. The best way to find out is to ask your hotel host or a local guide where your nearest society is holding its events, and to watch for announcements from the government and the Saint Lucia Tourism Authority as the dates approach. The Folk Research Centre in the capital researches and promotes the tradition and publishes work on it.

Travel to the villages needs a driver or a hire car, and our getting around guide explains your options. Places on the east coast such as Dennery show the island's folk life well, though events happen wherever a society is based.

Treat the festival as a community occasion with religious roots. Dress respectfully, with shoulders and knees covered for church, ask before photographing people, and follow the lead of local hosts. If you are invited to a séance, bow when you enter, join in the singing if you can and be ready to be fined if you break the rules, because that is part of the fun. Buying a drink or a plate of food supports the society.

Planning a visit around the festivals

The dates are fixed, so the weekday changes each year and some years the day falls on a weekend. Build your trip around the feast day and a few days either side, because the séances and smaller events lead up to it. Late August is part of the wetter season, with showers and a greener island, while mid-October falls in the same season and close to the island's Creole Heritage Month celebrations. Check our best time to visit guide for the weather and how the seasons affect travel.

Combine the festival with food and music. Our food and rum guide lists the dishes to look for, and our Jazz and Arts Festival guide covers the spring festival if you would rather visit in May. Most visitors from the UK land at Hewanorra International Airport in the south and then transfer by road, so allow generous time to reach a village event in the north or on the east coast.

A sensible plan is to base yourself somewhere central for the week of the feast day, ask your host about the nearest society in the days before, and keep one evening free for a séance if you are invited. Many Saint Lucians are glad to explain what is going on, and a polite question about the songs or the costumes is usually welcomed. If you are travelling with children, a daytime procession is easier than an all-night séance, and the church service gives a calm introduction to the day.

If your dates do not match either feast day, you can still learn a good deal. Local museums, cultural centres and community groups talk about the societies throughout the year, and guides who work on heritage tours can tell you where the strongest traditions are kept alive. Some villages also hold smaller gatherings between the two feast days, and the societies often sing at other community occasions.

Stay flexible. Community events start when they are ready, and the schedule on the day may differ from what you were told. Go with curiosity, take time to talk to people and accept that you will see only part of a living tradition. That is what makes the festivals worth the journey.

Where to stay and how to plan

Most visitors fit this into St Lucia holidays, so choose your base first. Compare hotels in St Lucia by area and style, and read our guides to luxury hotels in St Lucia and all inclusive resorts in St Lucia if you are choosing between a boutique stay and an all in package.

Then set your dates with the best time to visit St Lucia, book flights to St Lucia and pick days out from our St Lucia itineraries. Couples can also read about a honeymoon in St Lucia or weddings in St Lucia.

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