I continue repeating my annual grouse about how an entire nation simply continues to spin in a giddy fantasy of observing a National Holiday for Nothing.
Everyone should know, but not all realise that Saint Lucia’s observance of ‘National Day’ on December 13 is a phantom of a flight of fantasy rooted in centuries of a lie calculated to mislead and which continues to fly freely.
December 13 was historically celebrated as ‘Discovery Day’ to commemorate Christopher Columbus’ claim to have ‘discovered’ the island in 1502 – until it was revealed that another European navigator was also recorded as having seen the island in 1499.
Of course, none of those records regarded the people the Europeans met here as humans, thus the claim to have ‘discovered’ the island.
The City of Castries was born on December 13, 1967, when the island gained Statehood from Britain.
The British didn’t grant Independence on December 13, 1978, as requested and the government grudgingly accepted February 22, 1979, but it was not declared a holiday, even though the December 13 holiday anomaly was wholly retained.
Interestingly, Saint Lucia opted to have separate Independence Days and National Days.
Following independence, a subsequent administration dropped the annual Queen’s Birthday holiday to make space for an Independence Day holiday.
Every government since 1979 has had the option to correct the historical anomaly of still attaching a historical significance to December 13 that never was.
December 13 also commemorated the elevation of Castries to a City before Saint Lucia became Independent, symbolically granting citizenship to residents of Castries while other islanders remained solely Her Majesty’s loyal British subjects.
No government has considered effacing December 13 as an undeserving holiday, all having accepted the opportune (automatic or opportunistic) change from ‘Discovery Day’ to ‘National Day’, each seeming to care not about perpetuating a lie that became a myth still being allowed, by most, to outshine or overshadow the date the island became a sovereign nation.
Equally interesting, February 22 was simply pulled out of a cork hat during the independence negotiations at Westminster in late 1978, as ‘the earliest possible date’ for granting independence in an Election year (1979) — and this date has no other historical significance.
So, here we are with two national holidays celebrating ‘Independence’ and ‘Nationhood’, neither of which have true historical roots.
And we’re about to switch from the monarchy to a republic, with a national flag prominently featuring a political party’s official colour, a coat-of-arms featuring a party’s national symbol — and a sexist national anthem.
It would therefore do well for this government to urgently undertake a public literacy campaign to enlighten citizens about the differences between Colonialism, Independence and Republicanism, clearly demarcating the symbolism versus the actual meaningful changes – and how each will affect all and everyone.
Meanwhile, December 13 and February 22, being days and dates without historical value, it’ll be interesting to see what date will be selected for Republic Day – and how!