St. Kitts and Nevis Motto: Country Above Self

The beautiful display of NEVIS CUSTOMS and NEVIS CULTURE can be seen anywhere on the isalnd, but are always celebrated through various annual festivals, events and activities. The Nevis Museums proudly preserve it’s history.

Great insightful Government and Nevis Information can be found at the Ministry of Culture from the Nevis and St. Kitts Government Website One of my FAVS

The national Nevis flag: features green for it’s fertile lands, yellow for it’s year-round sunshine, black for the African heritage, and red for their struggle from slavery through colonialism to independence. It also displays two white stars on a black diagonal bar, symbols of hope and liberty.

The center of the Nevis coat of arms: is dominated by a shield at the base of which is a lighter in full sail. A red chevron is highlighted by two poinciana flowers. At the top of the shield is the head of a Carib, supported by the fleur-de-lis and a rose. These symbols represent the early inhabitants of the islands, and the influences of the French and English.

The Nevis national flower: is the poinciana or flamboyant, named after Monsieur de Poincy, the first French Governor of St. Kitts, who is said to have introduced it to the region. Its scientific name is Delonix Regia and it is said to have originated in Madagascar. The flamboyant is one of the most striking trees of the tropics, with its umbrella-shaped crown and its compound deciduous leaves, and red and yellow scalloped flowers followed by long, black seedpods. It blooms from May to August.

The national Nevis bird: is the brown pelican, Pelecanus Occidentalis. In its youth, it is brown on the head, neck and upper parts of the body, and mostly white below. As it matures, the majority of the body becomes dark brown while the upper part of the head turns white. During the postnuptial molt the adult’s neck turns white. The neck and head are not extended during flight. Brown pelicans are sometimes solitary feeders but may also be found in small flocks as they feed on schools of fish near the surface of the sea. They can be found throughout the West Indies and in the sub-tropic regions of the Americas. They nest in colonies along the coast in low trees and in bushes.

National Nevis Clothing:
St. Kitts and Nevis’ Official National Wear reflects the true “Caribbeaness” of its people. A combination of African and European influences which have shaped the history of St. Kitts and Nevis is evident in both the male and female outfits.

The wear is casual and comfortable in my mind. That’s why I love to visit. I love linen and get to get away with it at any time of the year on Nevis Island!

Women’s Wear
It was customary for African women to scrap their heads for protection. The main dress is off-white cotton, with a corset top and an ankle length, wide flare petticoat bottom. The beige cotton sleeves are short and puffed by using the drawstring. A short lap skirt made from crocus is worn over the main dress to protect it from dirt. The madras “Cane Soda Wrap”, which was used to cam soda while fertilizing sugar cane, is draped around the waist. The crocus drawstring bag was a safe nay for women to secure their mane).

Men’s Wear
A straw hat trimmed with madras offered protection from the hot day’s sun. The short sleeved, v-neck jack shirt trimmed with madras is made from off-white cotton. The design is similar to traditional shirts worn by African men. The beige cotton, ankle length pant is a reflection of the local fabrics that were commonly used during the colonial period.

You can view all of this fun information on the Government of St. Kitts and Nevis Website!

You can also READ ABOUT THE BIRTH OF NEVIS HERE!

ALSO… Check out this list of the Heritage and Historical Sites on Nevis

Becca Briley

INDEPENDENCE DAY ANNIVERSARY… Public Holiday and Celebrations ~ Nevis and Saint Kitts attained Independence from Britain in 1983.

The Beautiful “Queen of the Caribbean” turns 25 today. Nevis should feel a sense of accomplishment and great pride displayed by all at such a momentous day.

There is NO EXCUSE not to Celebrate NEVIS ISLAND today SEPT. 19, 2008! Where is the partying goin’ down!?!?

The ceremonial Military Parade took place at Grove Park this morning.

There was Nevis drag racing at the drag racing grounds in St. James Parish.

The premier’s reception will be at the Oualie Beach Hotel at 7 p.m.

The Tempo concert will be at at Long Point at 9 p.m.

Horseracing organized by Nevis Turf and Jockey Club at Indian Castle Race Track

Some insight from SUN ST. Kitts & Nevis

Some of the acts for the Tempo concert will be soca diva, Destra Garcia, the Mighty Sparrow, Machel Montano and calypso great, David Rudder.

Under the theme, “Pride, progress and development Independence, 25 years of success”, residents of Nevis celebrated with a successful religious concert at the Church of God, Eden Brown last Thursday, the Caribbean Wellness Day Walk from Golden Rock to Villa Grounds last Saturday and a service of prayer and thanksgiving last Sunday at the Netball Complex.

ALSO… take a look at Nevis’ Myspace Page and Nevis’ Facebook Page!

TO NEVIS ISLAND

Becca Briley

National Hero’s Day is a holiday in the Caribbean nation of Nevis and St. Kitts, which takes place each 16th of September.

It was established, along with several other awards, in 1998 by the St. Kitts and Nevis Federal parliament with the passage of the National Honours Act. So which hero is being celebrated!?!?

The first holiday was held on September 16, 1998, and the first National Hero was Robert Bradshaw, the first Premier of the Associated State of St Kitts, Nevis and Anguilla. No one else has received the honor since!

Wikipedia.com gives the insight on this national Nevis Island Hero…

Robert Llewellyn Bradshaw (16 September 1916 - 23 May 1978) was a labour activist, Chief Minister and Premier of the island of Saint Kitts in the Caribbean Sea. It was his dream to see the country an independent nation.

Bradshaw was born in the village of Saint Paul Capisterre on the island of St. Kitts, and attended school in the same village.

He supported the cause of the sugar workers, and was one of the political stalwarts of the country. He entered politics in 1946 and won a seat in the Legislative Council and later became a member of the Executive Council. In 1956 he was Minister of Trade and Production for St. Kitts-Nevis-Anguilla. During in the short-lived West Indies Federation (from 1958 to 1962), Bradshaw was elected to the Federal House of Representatives and held the post of minister of finance for the Federation.

After the break-up of the Federation, Bradshaw returned to St. Kitts from Trinidad. In 1966 he became Chief Minister, and in 1967 the first Premier of St. Kitts-Nevis-Anguilla, now an associated state of Britain.

Under his leadership, all sugar lands as well as the central sugar factory were bought by the government. Opposition to Bradshaw’s rule began to build, especially by the families of former estate owners, who founded the People’s Action Movement party in 1964, after frustration over a failed demonstration against a raise in electricity rates. Opposition was especially great in Nevis, where it was felt that the island was being neglected and unfairly deprived of revenue, investment and services by its larger neighbour. Bradshaw mainly ignored Nevis’ complaints, but Nevisian disenchantment with the Labour Party proved a key factor in the party’s eventual fall from power.

In 1977 he went to London for independence talks with the United Kingdom government.
He died in May 1978 of prostate cancer, and was succeeded by his former deputy, Paul Southwell. The country’s Robert Bradshaw International Airport is named in his honour. In 1997 he was named the first national hero of St. Kitts and Nevis, and National Heroes Day is celebrated on his birthday.

Read more on the Nevis Hero from the Google Archives HERE!

If you are curious about the potical development of Nevis Island… read about Politics of Saint Kitts and Nevis HERE

~ Becca Briley ~

The beautiful people of Nevis Island and St. Kitts will celebrate their 25th year as a politically independent nation on September 19, 2008.

There will be multiple fun, culture-rich activities that will serve to remind everyone that there is so much worth celebrating in the naturally gorgeous Nevis West Indies.

The “Queen of the Caribees” should feel a sense of accomplishment and great pride displayed by all at such a momentous occasion.

The youth of Nevis are getting a good education as well as a good understanding of the concept of being an independent country and all that is expected of the people who are its citizens who might be residing there for one reason or the other. Some are born Nevis natives while some move there and many ~VACATION IN NEVIS~.

Nevis youth must be made to understand that future development of the country is their responsibility so that their education becomes an issue of paramount importance and this should be drilled into them at every opportunity before, during and after island celebrations.

The country has much to celebrate but human nature is such that not everybody will be seeing things the same way. This is a day to join hands and rejoice in freedom.

SUNSTKITTS.COM says it perfectly…

In view of this, they must see it better than anywhere else in the world and this time, when there is much celebration in the air, they need to be among those raising their voices and shouting for all the world to hear that they will defend their land and her honour to their dying day.

The world should know about the beautiful The Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis.

Wikipedia gives a strong, brief description of The Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis (also known as the Federation of Saint Christopher and Nevis), located in the Leeward Islands, is a federal two-island nation in the West Indies. It is the smallest nation in America, in both area and population.

The capital city and headquarters of government for the federated state is on the larger island of Saint Kitts. The smaller state of Nevis lies about 2 miles (3 km) southeast of Saint Kitts, across a shallow channel called “The Narrows”.

Historically, the British dependency of Anguilla was also a part of this union, which was then known collectively as Saint Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla.

Saint Kitts and Nevis are geographically part of the Leeward Islands. To the north-northwest lie the islands of Saint Eustatius, Saba, Saint Barthélemy, and Saint-Martin/Sint Maarten. To the east and northeast are Antigua and Barbuda, and to the southeast is the small uninhabited island of Redonda, and the island of Montserrat, which currently has an active volcano (see Soufrière Hills.)

Saint Kitts and Nevis were amongst the first islands in the Caribbean to be settled by Europeans. Saint Kitts was home to the first British and French colonies in the Caribbean.

Saint Kitts and Nevis is the smallest nation on Earth to ever host a World Cup event; it was one of the host venues of the 2007 Cricket World Cup.

My Favorite Song and Video for the Day… “Whatever You Like” by T.I. King

Anyway, if you are taking a NEVIS VACATION in the near future to celebrate Nevis Island Independence Day, Check out all of the Amazing Nevis Island Activities that are offered to ALL ! Also find beautiful Nevis Hotels, Nevis Resorts and Nevis Villas where your crew can enjoy an amazing stay in Nevis, West Indies.

Becca Briley