Saint Lucians at home and abroad are gearing up to celebrate the island’s 37th Anniversary of Independence (February 22, 2016).
This is a good time to reflect on the significance of nationhood, and what we initially set out to achieve as an independent people.
One way of doing this is by reflecting on our national symbols and their meaning. Our national emblems represent what is unique about the nation, reflecting different aspects of our cultural life and history. They can even serve as a yardstick to determine the progress we’ve made in achieving our collective hopes and aspirations for our country.
The national symbols of Saint Lucia are the flag and the coat of arms. Following is a brief description of the two symbols and what they represent.
The Coat of Arms
A national coat of arms, or state emblem, is the highest visual symbol of the State and is presented in the form of a heraldic achievement. It is used in print and on porcelain and as wall decorations in parliamentary buildings.
An important use for national coats of arms is as the main symbol on the cover of passports.
Saint Lucia’s national Coat of Arms was designed by Sydney Bagshaw, the founder of Bagshaw St. Lucia, in 1967. An American, and a former art editor with Reader’s Digest Magazine. Mr. Bagshaw chose St Lucia as his retirement home.
In the Coat of Arms:
- The Tudor-Rose represents England. The Fleur-De-Lis represents France. The African stool represents Africa.
- The torch represents a beacon to light the path. The birds represent Saint Lucia’s national bird, the Amazona
Versicolor. - The bamboo cross represents the national plant. The Land, The People, The Light is The Motto.
The National Flag
The national flag of Saint Lucia was adopted on March 1, 1967, upon achieving self government. it was designed by St Lucia’s premier artist and muralist, the late Sir Dunstan St. Omer.
The flag has four distinctive colours; cerulean blue, light chrome yellow, black and white.
The cerulean blue represents fidelity. It also reflects our spectacular, scenic sky and the surrounding waters the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean. The yellow in the flag represents the Caribbean sunshine as well as prosperity.
The white denotes our European heritage and the black represents our African ancestry. Together, they represent the aspiration of the two races to live and work in unity.
The isosceles triangle is reminiscent of Saint Lucia’s famous twin Pitons, rising majestically out of the sea, towards the heavens. They symbolise quite definitively the hopes and aspirations of our people.
Dazzle wishes the people of Saint Lucia happy Independence anniversary!
