 The La Rose Festival has spun a cultural tale of music, dance and drama for over 200 years. It showcases the pride and resilience of the Saint Lucian people who have passed on the richness of his cultural history from one generation to the next. The La Rose Society emerged in Saint Lucia when the slaves divided themselves between two rival flower factions to parade the virtue and worship of the flower chosen. In this case, the Rose. However, it was not simply an art form developed to gratify the Negro slave's propensity for dancing. Rather, it was a means of establishing a sense of identity in a politically sensitive, oppressive system. Rather than emphasize the masking of traditional African professions such as the warrior, witch doctor and herbalist, the Flower Festival strongly emphasized the decorum of European regal courts and dance forms. Some believe this to be an outward mockery of European traditions. Others view the festival as the Roman Catholic Church's attempt to bring the slaves under their influence, thereby eliminating the significance of their African origin. Followers of the Rose based their devotion on the myth or legend of Santa Rose de Lima. The story goes that a young slave named Rose, who worked in the great house of a plantation, was dissatisfied with the bad treatment her relatives received while working in the fields and elsewhere in the plantation. She habitually stole bread from the kitchen and took it to her relatives at night. However, she was soon regarded with suspicion and one night, guards ordered her to reveal what she had in her apron. Miraculously, as she complied, instead of loaves, bunches of roses fell from her apron. This saved her life and was seen as a divine reward for her acts of resistance and good deeds. As a result, the La Rose Society was birthed. As island celebrants adopted both the sanctified girl's name and the miraculous flower as their symbol. She became the first Christian saint of the New World, the patron saint of the Rose Society and the feast day of Saint Rose de Lima was created in her honor. However, some are of the belief that the Rose Society emerged in Africa before slavery. The legend places Rose as one of the daughters of a great Pharaoh who was very charitable with the poor of the land occasionally passing them loaves from Pharaoh's table. One day, the Pharaoh returned home early from battle only to find a crowd of poor outside the court. He queried as to their presence and Margaret, Rose's sister, revealed that it was Rose's fault for giving them food. Pharaoh ordered the Rose to be arrested and searched. This is the point at which both versions conjoined. Instead of finding food in her apron, the crumbs miraculously changed into roses and her life was saved. Members of the Rose Society host an annual La Rose Festival on August 30th which is preceded by many social gatherings such as sciences and parties leading up to the date. This festival follows the masquerade tradition since the main performance is a street procession of costume characters including theatrics and dramatizations within the street parade. The characters within the festival are hierarchically structured to illustrate the colonial society with the king and queen as the head followed by other dignitaries and ending with people of lower economic standing. In some situations, a whole family is chosen as the royal family. Members vote verbally to choose individuals who have some local standing and whose families have been particularly active in the society as the royal family. The heads of the family are anointed king and queen in a coronation service and their children, princes and princesses. The magistrate, policeman, nurses and other social functionaries are also represented as well as thieves and miscreants who dramatize being arrested by police and brought before the magistrate. These role performances are most evident during the festival however they are relatively more permanent than the mass someone plays during carnival. Unlike carnival in which the crown king and queen of the band only assumes these roles for the two days of the revelry the king and queen of the La Rose Festival do not only preside over the sessions but they influence from these roles extend beyond the contours of the festival into real life, some for several years. Preparations for the La Rose Festival start many months before the actual feast day on August 30. During that period, the Rose Society gathers at a bar of hall in the community particularly on weekends to hold seances. These seances should not be confused with practices of the occult but are in essence an all night singing and dancing session where drinks are sold and games are played. These seances are also used to rehearse songs and raise funds for the grand performance on August 30. The royal couple presides over the sessions. The magistrate sits with them and they are flanked on either sides by guards. The chateau and musicians take their positions before the royal pair and begin their presentations of singing and dancing for the pleasure of the royals. The songs and dances at the seances are vibrant and boisterous featuring popular cultural dances such as the mappa and quibish. The instruments used are rustic and include the violin, banjo, quattro, guitar, shakshak, baha and drums. As the members move about dancing, the police ensure that all misdemeanors are brought before the magistrate, arrested and fined for crimes such as being too bloom, exuberant or smoking without a license in an area. These fines, as well as the sale of drinks and light snacks, defer the expense from the society. The songs sang at the seances are led by a chateau or lead singer, usually a woman who sustains the spirit and tenor of the session. She is also responsible for the composition of new songs, also known as belés. Some belés sing the praise and virtue of the rose flower. Others are designed to ridicule their rival group, the Lamagherites. The chateaus lead the belés and members of the group acting as a chorus in a call and response pattern. On the actual day of the festival, all members of the rose society gather at the hall for communal breakfast. Previously, the men wore costumes similarly worn by the European colonizers. The women wore outfits similar to the national costume of St. Lucia, the warp duet. However, today, the costumes have changed to imitate the contemporary outfits corresponding to a particular role. The women's costumes primarily portray the colors red, pink and white. Nevertheless, dressed in the fineries of their respective roles, the royal family being the most elaborate and adorned, they would then proceed to the church for a special service before hitting the streets for the culminating street masquerade. After the parade, unlike the seances, the gonfet is a more disciplined event. The dancing is traditionally limited to quadrille, lances and other figure dances including ballroom type dancing. St. Lucia has always been predominantly Catholic and the policies of the church have a significant influence on its followers, including the flower societies. As a result, the roses assume a community self-help spirit and aided with many of the projects entrusted to the church. In fact, there is scarcely a parish on the island that doesn't owe the erection of its church wholly or partly to the support and funding of the flower societies. For instance, the roses build the bell free at the Catholic Church in Vufort. The virulent red of the rose still speaks to many of St. Lucia today. This is partly due to the passion, love and dogged commitment of the myriad of chateaux to the grueling task of the preservation and popularization of La Rose song and dances. Among these chateaux, there is none so gifted and loved as Dame Cessen Descartes of Paseus who was the lead chateau for the La Rose group in Miku from the age of 8. Cessen was deemed the queen of culture and became a central figure in the revival of the folk songs and dance traditions of St. Lucia that threatened to fade into obscurity with time. Cessen's influence also inspired the work of Joyce Hoguees and the creation of two singing groups, the Hellenites and the Uranora voices whose long-playing records of La Rose songs allowed these songs to become well-known and quite popular in the wider St. Lucia society. Today the La Rose Flower Festival has crossed continents and germinated with seedlings of St. Lucia's overseas. The structure and revelry of the festival brings together the diaspora community in the spirit, song, dance and of course the drama that is La Rose. Despite the popularity of the La Rose Festival and their contribution to society, they were not without their fair share of problems, especially with the Catholic Church who threatened their very existence and continuity. During the festival, the Rose's verbal ridicule or maitre of their rival groups sometimes provoked hatred which gave rise to dissension and even violence. In one incident in Sofret, the Rose's paraded the flag of blue silk, the color of their rival group, through the streets to prove their superiority. The margarits were retaliated with an ambush after the Guamfet that resulted in many battered bones and even the threat of burning down the town. Thus, the Church completely opposed the plural societies and viewed their festivals as an occasion for widespread immorality and disorderly conduct. The La Rose Festival was excommunicated by the Church and Catholics who forbidden from joining or remaining in them. To highlight the seriousness of the situation, Rolrik Wolcott's play The Banjo Man was even banned by some churches. The extravagant, wholesome and rioting nature of La Rose didn't only land them in trouble with the Church but with other institutions and some members of the upper class in society. In 1865, the editor of the St. Lucia blamed the Flower Festivals for the increase in the crime of larceny in Sofret. In an article in The Voice News paper, members of the upper class called the festival stupid and expressed the disgust and outrage over the lack of good judgment by reputable decent young men who participated in these shameful behaviors, all in the name of a vulgar popularity of a flower. Given the present wave of nationalism and cultural awareness in St. Lucia, such notions may no longer be publicly expressed. However, there may be many today who silently endorse these sentiments. Over the years, there has been a union to emerge from the weight of our colonial legacy and to establish a national identity with a particular focus on resurgence of traditional or folk culture. Therefore, recent governments took a particular interest in the Floral Societies as they represented one of the last remaining components of a vibrant and complex culture which evolved out of our colonial past. Additionally, the fact that flower festivals like La Rose were unique in St. Lucia further stimulated their recognition as a core national identity. As a result of this, the relationship between the societies, the church and the ruling class began to change. Today, the relationship with the church has been fully restored and the La Rose mural by Dunstan St. Uma at the Church of St. Rose Delima in Moshe is a testament to her radical attitudes have changed towards the flower festivals, as well as the church's efforts to work more closely with the Rose congregation. The fact that the La Rose Society became recognized primarily as a singing association and the ones of violent rivalry which existed between them and their rivals, the Magrids, declined into a more amicable one may have also been a contributing factor to this general acceptance as time passed. Though only the labouring class and domestic servants took an active role in the festival, there was scarcely an individual on island who did not enroll in one of the Floral Societies. In fact, a number of upper class peoples such as planters, businessmen and government officials at one point gave financial and moral support to the societies. However, today, the support from the commercial sector is almost non-existent with the exception of the Labry Cooperative Credit Union which has consistently supported various La Rose groups. Over the years, the number of groups has decreased substantially perhaps due to the fact that although the basic structure and tradition of La Rose remains unchanged over the years, the relative significance of the festival as a popular institution of folk expression within St. Louisian society has indeed changed drastically. Like Junique Weall and Carnival, the La Rose Festival was recognized as a cultural and social tradition involving the entire St. Louisian population. However, at present, this national and cultural identity has been confined primarily to rural communities. Furthermore, in the wake of the cultural imperialism transmitted via radio, television and the internet, the appreciation for the festival, especially amongst the younger generation, has waned. Recent governments, cultural institutions and various commercial businesses within the society believe that the La Rose Festival embodied the unity, strength and togetherness of the culture and the sense of hudme could not be allowed to disappear from society. It was generally agreed that more education and the strengthening of the socio-political position of the festival would ensure its survival. Therefore, the governments felt it necessary to incorporate the recognition of the floral societies into their programs and cultural development. One such initiative is the teaching of La Rose songs at school so that future generations are exposed to and involved in aspects of the festival so as to cement the traditions of La Rose within them. Another initiative promoted by the cultural development foundation is the introduction of the Guanceas. Traditionally, sciences were held by various groups in different communities. However, the Guanceas represents an amalgamation of all the various groups in a unified science in Rodney Bay. This initiative also forms part of CDF's drive to develop the festival into a tourism product. There is a certain strength and resilience associated with the flower festivals which have enabled them to overcome political and religious oppression in the past and survive in the face of waning cultural significance and imperialism of the present. Although the scope to regain nationwide participation is limited, the La Rose Festival will forever be deep-rooted in the cultural communities and form part of their societies. As long as the traditional mantle continues to be passed from one generation to the next and efforts to improve the festival are supported by various governments and the wider society, the La Rose Festival will continue to be a vibrant representation of St. Lucia's rich cultural heritage.