National Day (Saint Lucia)

National Day, also known as St. Lucy's Day, is a public holiday in Saint Lucia, observed on December 13 each year. The holiday is in honor of the patron saint, Saint Lucy.

Saint Lucia is an island country in the Caribbean Sea. Many people believe Christopher Columbus first sighted the island and named the island in 1502, but other legends state the French settlers named the island when French sailors were shipwrecked on the island. Although the origin of the name is unclear, Saint Lucia became the island's name and appeared on the early settlers' records.

Saint Lucy, also Saint Lucia, was a young virgin martyr who lived in Syracuse, Sicily and lost her life in 304 because of her Christian faith. According to the legend, Saint Lucy dedicated herself to Christ. Without knowing her promise, her mother arranged a marriage for her with a pagan.

Saint Agatha's shrine near Syracuse attracted many pilgrims with many miracles. After prayers, Saint Agatha told Lucy in a dream that her mother's illness would be cured because of her faith, which convinced her mother to give up the marriage.

This angered the bridegroom, and he denounced her as a Christian to Governor Paschasius, who sentenced her to be defiled in a brothel. However, the guards cannot physically move her when trying to take her away, and they also fail to burn her with bundles of wood. They ended her life with a sword to her throat.

After her death, Governor Paschasius ordered the guards to gouge out her eyes, but her eyes were restored during the burial. Saint Lucy was venerated as a saint in the Catholic, Anglican, and Eastern Orthodox Churches, and her feast date is December 13.

The following is the list of National Day in Saint Lucia from 2022 to 2026.

Please check more public holidays in Saint Lucia: