What is Jounen Kweyol?Jounen Kweyol also known in English as Creole day is the day of celebration of our Creole heritage. As you may know, St Lucia is bi-lingual, which means we speak two languages. Although the general population speaks English (official language) as their first language, the majority of the older folks speak kweyol (patois).
The reason why St Lucia has a Creole heritage is because it was fought over by the British and French, making it colonies of the British and French seven times each, finally making it a colony of the British. Because of the influence of both parties, a dialect evolved into a whole new language which became widely spoken.
Every year on the last Sunday in the month of October, Jounen Kweyol is observed. Those activities bring to life the St Lucia culture all those things that happened in the past. What Will You Get To See? 
The national dress (the madras, a plaid like material) is normally worn around that time of the year in honor of our creole heritage. You will also find all schools taking part in the festivity, hosting shows and speaking Creole only for the day. For 2009 there are three communities that will be hosting the festival in St Lucia. It is customary to host the festival in four parts of Saint Lucia making it more possible for everyone to enjoy. Every year the Folk Research Center of St. Lucia selects the communities to host the various activities for Creole Heritage Month. The three communities were selected after months of community mobilization. Jounen Kweyol 2009 will be held in the communities of Soufriere, Vieux Fort and Boguis.
Creole Heritage month is always celebrated in October with Jounen Kweyol being the highlighted activity the closest day to the 28th of that month. The community activities will take place on October 25th 2009. If you are in St Lucia, you should not let an opportunity like that to pass you by. Drive around the country, see and learn what St Lucia's heritage is all about first hand. Hope to see you there!
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Jounen Kweyol 2009
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Great effort is placed into the festival every year and you can see the enthusiasm and passion for it in the Folk Research Center Director. All three communities have been mobilized and are ready to go and is an event that shouldn’t be missed.
