Laplas Nwèl—reviving our Christmas Traditions

The Saint Lucia National Trust, in collaboration with the Trade Export Promotion Agency, Ministry of Commerce, Business Development, Investment and Consumer Affairs, and Ministry of Agriculture, Food Production, Fisheries and Rural Development today launched Laplas Nwèl Traditional Saint Lucian Christmas Campaign. The expanded event will be a potpourri of St Lucian Christmas Traditions of Dance, Song and Cuisine, combined with an exposition of the best that St Lucia has to offer in terms of products and services which are distinctly St Lucian. The promotional campaign is threefold and includes an exciting and innovative Online Christmas Catalogue with complementary Coupons Spearheaded by the Saint Lucia Trade Export Promotion Agency (TEPA). Coupons will be distributed via local newspapers and Consolidated Foods outlets. The Holiday Shopping Guide will feature authentic St Lucian local products and services. Through this component, the TEPA hopes to encourage Christmas shoppers to consider authentic St. Lucian products and services as holiday gift items this year.

On National Day, Pigeon Island will come alive with a Traditional Christmas Market which will feature stalls selling food and drink, toys and ornaments, books, music, Christmas decorations, handicraft items, fashion and apparel, household items. The market will serve as an avenue to promote and market the Christmas Catalogue and for redeeming collected Coupons. Through a collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Production, Fisheries and Rural Development the market will also include a delectable Meat Market that will bring together processors and butchers of various types and cuts of meats including Rabbit, Poultry, Beef, and Pork. Local Chefs will also be present to demonstrate various preparation methods and recipes. Minister of Commerce, Emma Hippolyte says “Laplas Nwèl will provide a good showcase, not just for our Christmas traditions but also for locally produced goods and services which keep the local economy ticking.” She adds: “At this time of recession in Europe and other parts of the world, it is vital that we sustain our economy by buying local, thus ensuring the continued growth and development of our manufacturing and service sectors.”

The event culminates with a grand Christmas Concert which will feature the diverse array of St. Lucia’s Christmas music. It will celebrate the spirit of the St Lucian Christmas through a concert comprising genres as varied as folk, parang, gospel, solo and jazz. It will include choirs singing Christmas carols, performances by the Royal St Lucia Police Band and calypsonians. Sponsors of Laplas Nwèl 2012 include Consolidated Foods Limited, Calabash TV, DBS, SLASPA, RCI, ECFH, Bounty Rum, Piton Beer, Sunfresh, LIME and Superior Shipping. Laplas Nwèl takes place at Pigeon Island on Thursday December 13th 2012, from 11:00 am–7:00 pm. It will rekindle some unique St. Lucian Christmas Traditions like greasy pole and greasy pig, toes and masquerade. Entrance fee to Laplas Nwèl is $15 for adults and $10 for children 5–12 years.