“The precise origin of the La Rose and the La Marguerite Flower Festivals is unknown. As Breen has aptly asserted “The History of the Antilles is involved in such total obscurity in all that concerns the black population that it would be impossible at the present time to trace the origins of the Roses and Marguerites” (1844:191). Midgett however states that “La Rose and its rival society La Marguerite, were born in St. Lucia during slavery…” (1977:56).
Crowley, taking a cue from Breen’s affirmation that the societies also existed in Dominica and Trinidad, proceeds to say “that there are indications that they or very similar institutions existed widely in the West Indies” (1958:550)
He mentions the case in 1823 of the Trinidad slaves charges with intention to revolt because they were allegedly overheard speaking of “regiments”, supposedly societies (or parties) – to be used on the occasion of dances and Holy days. Also the 1838 allusion in the Port of Spain Gazette to “Damas” and “Wartloos” and the 1816 ‘Monk’ Lewis description of a parade between rival factions of “Blues and Reds”. Whatever inferences may be drawn from these allusions, they certainly shed no definite light on the question of the origin of the flower festivals.
The first known mention of any of the festivals seem to be in the Mme. Jeanne Le Vexier’s letter of 15th September, 1769 (Crowley 1958:551). The names of the flower societies seem to have changed occasionally over the centuries. MS 14194 written around the same time as Breen (cf. Anthony 1979:7) speaks of “the rivals, the Roses and the Daisies or Bachelor’s buttons…” whilst an 1865 editorial in THE SAINT LUCIAN speaks of “… the resuscitation of the old negro societies of ROSES and MARGUERITES under the novel appellation of FLORIDAS and DAHLIAS…”.
Excerpt from Section II: Origins of the Flower Festivals, pg. 4, THE FLOWER FESTIVALS OF SAINT LUCIA, Second Edition, Hon. Msgr. Patrick A. B. Anthony, PhD, SLC. Published by @FolkResearchCentre & Jubilee Trust Fund, Castries, Saint Lucia, 2009.
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