December 13: National Day in Saint Lucia
Prayer Idea
Pray for the people and government of Saint Lucia.
Map by Peter Hermes Furian / Shutterstock.com.
History Note
Lucia (also known as Lucy) was a Christian on the Mediterranean island of Sicily in the 3rd century. According to tradition, she died in 304 AD during a time of persecution against Christians by the Roman Empire. People in other parts of Europe honored her faith over the centuries, and December 13 became her feast day.
The Carib people lived on one of the Windward Islands in the Caribbean. They called it Ianoula, which means “There where the iguana is found.” There is some debate about whether French or Spanish sailors were the first Europeans to arrive in the 1500s. But apparently whoever arrived first arrived on December 13 and named the island Saint Lucia.
The French competed with the British for control of the island from the 1600s to the early 1800s. Enslaved workers grew cotton and sugar. Bananas and cacao later became important crops.
Between 1958 and 1962, Saint Lucia was part of the short-lived West Indies Federation with several other Caribbean islands, including Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago. Saint Lucia gained full independence from the United Kingdom in 1979.
Today the island nation has a population of almost 200,000. About 60% are Roman Catholic and 25% belong to another Christian denomination. Though English is the official language, many people speak Saint Lucian Creole, which has a strong French influence.
Saint Lucia is the only sovereign state in the world named after a woman. The country celebrates December 13 as its National Day. Held in honor of Lucia, it is the culmination of a multi-day Festival of Lights and Renewal.
Soufriere, Saint Lucia (2021). Photo by KLiK Photography / Shutterstock.com.
Learn More
Get a glimpse of this island nation and the celebration of their National Day.
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