“The Roses and the Marguerite are floral societies into which some members of the St Lucian community divide themselves. Although these floral societies remain primarily singing associations today, there was a time when they formed “important segments of the island’s structure” and most persons in the community were somehow affiliated to one of the groups (Crowley 1958:541).
The structure of these two societies would seem to indicate something of their function within colonial society. Both groups are hierarchically structured with a King and a Queen as head of each society and other dignitaries patterned upon the socio-economic structure of colonial society. Thus, after the King and Queen come Princes and Princesses, and a “a number of other pseudo-legal, military and professional personnel including Judges, Policemen, Soldiers and Nurses” (Midgett 1977:56). The element of role performance or masquerading is evident from this internal structure of the groups. For all of the roles performed during the festival – Kings, Queens, Doctors, Lawyers, etc – are roles far beyond the real aspiration of the “folk population” in ordinary life. Herein lies the carnival ethos that is so much part of Caribbean society. At carnival time whole sections of the population will put on “masks” and assume for two days roles they will never be able to assume in real life.
Although the role performance in the flower society becomes most evident during the festival period, they are more permanent than the “mas” someone plays at carnival time. If one plays a King or Queen in a band for carnival, then one assumes these roles only during the days of revelry. Not so with La Rose and La Marguerite. One can be King or Queen for several years, with influence from these roles extending beyond the contours of the festival into real life.”
Excerpt from Section II: Origins of the Flower Festivals, pg. 5, 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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