While the festive season may look very different in 2020, Saint Lucia is keeping its Christmas traditions alive with a special celebration of its distinctive and rich customs.

The 12 Days of Christmas in Saint Lucia features on social media showing practices that span centuries and are still widely enjoyed such as Bamboo Bursting, Creole carol-singing and a recipe for Black Rum Cake. 

The fiery art of bamboo bursting kicks off the season.

Cannons are made out of 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.

One of the most memorable and thrilling Christmas traditions you will see, which leaves children wide-eyed in excitement, are the masquerade dancers.

Wearing cone-shaped hats and robes made of brightly- coloured strips of crêpe paper, they perform on the streets to the music of the shak-shak, drum and flute.

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 13th) when the island celebrates its Patron Saint, Lucy, making it the only country in the world named after a woman.

Join the fun every day from December 14th- 25th via @TravelSaintLucia on Facebook and Instagram.

Saint Lucia minister of tourism, 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.”