Kwéyòl Heritage Month 2026 (Mwa Ewitaj Kwéyòl) was officially launched on Wednesday at the Laborie Market in Laborie, marking the beginning of a month-long celebration of Saint Lucia’s Kwéyòl language, culture and heritage.
The theme chosen by the Folk Research Centre (FRC) for this year’s observance is “Kwéyòl-la Sé Sa Nou Tout” (Kwéyòl Belongs to All of Us).
Speaking to the theme at the launch, FRC founder and namesake Monsignor Patrick Anthony said Saint Lucians who do not know the language are missing an important part of themselves.
“Kwéyòl is our culture, Kwéyòl is our identity, and every Saint Lucian should come to understand that unless I know my language I am missing out a lot about myself,” Anthony said.
“The wisdom in our proverbs, in our riddles, all of that, closed to us, if we do not understand the language.”
Anthony described Kwéyòl as a language “which is ours”.
“We created it, we moulded it, we formed it…and it is the basis of all that is Saint Lucian.”
He congratulated the communities selected to host the main activities throughout the month and on Jounen Kwéyòl, Sunday, October 25, but urged them to remember the importance of the language.
The three official host communities are La Caye, Dennery; Vieux Fort South; and La Clery, Castries North.
A representative of the Dennery committee said the community will present an attractive and genuine Kwéyòl celebration under the sub-theme, “From the Field to the People”.
Vieux Fort organisers said they are ready to present a number of activities throughout the month, including a games and storytelling evening on October 10 and an evening of dance on October 17. The main Jounen Kwéyòl festivities will begin with a J’ouvert on the morning of October 25.
Minister in the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Heritage John Paul Estephan, who spoke at the launch, described the event as the beginning of a celebration of who Saint Lucians are.
“We have gathered to honour those who have come before us, and we have gathered to make a simple but powerful declaration – Kwéyòl-la Sé Sa Nou Tout,” he said.
“It carries our history, it carries our humour, it carries our wisdom, it carries our struggles and our resilience, it carries the unmistakable rhythm and spirit of the Saint Lucian people.”
He said there are expressions in Kwéyòl that carry a feeling, a wisdom and a way of understanding life that is distinctively Saint Lucian, adding that the theme must be understood as more than a statement of ownership.
“It is a statement of responsibility, because if Kwéyòl belongs to us then its future also belongs to us,” he said.
Wednesday’s opening featured performances of folk music and dance, with several public officials and representatives of community groups in attendance.
Kwéyòl Heritage Month was officially declared open by FRC Executive Director Melchoir Henry.
