After years of hushed footsteps and dim candlelight in dark public cemeteries, St. Lucia is preparing to welcome a new chapter in how it honours its departed. On November 29th from 5 p.m., the Margaret O’Brian Private Cemetery in La Tourney, Vieux Fort will transform into a place not of shadows, but of shared light, shared stories, and shared healing. It is here that Lazarus Funeral Home will debut a bold reimagining of Remembrance Day, turning a once-muted tradition into a vibrant celebration of memory and meaning.
For Brandon O’Brian, the mind behind the movement, this moment has been a lifelong dream. As a child, he wondered why remembrance felt so heavy, so hidden, so wrapped in darkness. “Why,” he often thought, “must we honour life in the shadows when the people we loved brought us so much light?”
That question became his mission.
This new Remembrance Day invites families from all religions, all walks of life, and all corners of the island to step into a brighter space, one where grief meets gratitude, and memories glow instead of fade. The cemetery, often a symbol of finality, will instead become a canvas of candles, flowers, music, and heartfelt expression. Illuminated pathways will guide visitors toward a more uplifting approach to remembrance, a symbolic reminder that even in loss, light endures.
The program blends culture and creativity: live music that stirs emotion, poetry that breathes life into memory, and an open mic that hands the microphone to families who wish to speak their loved ones’ names aloud. A short multi-denominational prayer will echo through the grounds, uniting different beliefs under one common truth that every life deserves celebration.
Attendees are encouraged to bring relics of love: photographs, blooms, handwritten notes, or candles of their own. Each person will also receive a candle, a small flame to place at a grave or carry home, a glowing reminder that remembrance is not an ending, but a continuation.
Organizers hope this becomes more than an event. They hope it becomes a tradition a yearly gathering where St. Lucians don’t just mourn their loved ones, but celebrate them, illuminating the night with the timeless light of memory.
