The societies (societés) of Saint Lucia are two historic associations on the Antillean island country of Saint Lucia, La Woz (“The Rose”) and La Magwit (“The Marguerite”). Ostensibly based around singing the virtues of the rose and marguerite flowers, the societies are intense rivals, and their membership includes most of the population of the island. Each society holds a yearly festival, on August 30 for the “Roses” and October 17 for the “Marguerites”. These flower festivals are unique to St. Lucia and are major events in the cultural life and history of the country. The names La Woz and La Magawit are in the local Creole (Kweyol) language, that combines a European vocabulary with a West African based grammar.
