Archbishop Gabriel Malzaire has put Saint Lucia Carnival under the microscope, raising concerns about increasingly revealing costumes, year-round revelry and whether the country’s biggest cultural celebration is losing sight of dignity, responsibility and respect.
In a pointed post-Carnival reflection, Malzaire questioned whether some aspects of modern-day revelry have gone too far, declaring that “what is displayed on our streets has become progressively more troubling.” His intervention comes as Carnival continues to grow not only as a major cultural celebration, but as a tourism and commercial product.
At the heart of the Archbishop’s concern is a tension many Saint Lucians may recognise: How does the country grow and market Carnival without losing control of what the celebration represents?
Malzaire noted that Carnival historically served as a period of celebration before the Christian season of Lent, but has evolved into a tourism-driven enterprise designed largely to attract and entertain visitors. The expansion of community Carnivals throughout the year, he warned, also risks creating a continuous “bacchanal” culture.
He argued that while culture plays a critical role in shaping identity, preserving collective memory and strengthening communities, it must also uphold human dignity. Against that backdrop, Malzaire questioned whether Carnival has increasingly become an environment where moral standards are temporarily pushed aside, insisting that “personal freedom cannot mean freedom from restraint, responsibility, or respect for oneself and others.”
One of his sharpest criticisms centred on Carnival costumes. Malzaire raised concern about what he described as the increasing skimpiness of some outfits worn by women. But he said the issue is bigger than what appears on the road, pointing also to degrading comments from spectators and on social media and questioning what those behaviours communicate about dignity, respect and the messages being sent to children.
Despite the criticism, the Archbishop is not calling for Carnival to be scrapped. Instead, Malzaire praised the festival’s music, artistry, craftsmanship, pageantry, costumes and community participation, saying these can strengthen national pride and unity and are “gifts worth preserving.” His concern is primarily with aspects of street revelry and the permissive attitudes he believes have developed around them.
The growing Carnival calendar is also facing scrutiny. While acknowledging that people need opportunities to celebrate and enjoy healthy emotional release, Malzaire questioned whether an increasingly constant cycle of festivities could come at a cost, leaving less room for work, reflection, responsibility and spiritual growth.
He placed the issue within what he sees as a wider decline in courtesy, consideration, integrity and respect in Saint Lucian society. Even behaviours such as reckless driving and motorists failing to dim their headlights for oncoming traffic were cited as signs of a weakening sense of responsibility towards others.
For Malzaire, the debate is therefore bigger than bikinis, bands or bacchanal. It is about what Saint Lucia celebrates, what it normalises and what it passes on to the next generation.
Rather than condemning Carnival, the Archbishop wants the country to preserve what makes the festival culturally powerful while confronting practices he believes undermine its values. His challenge to Saint Lucia is whether future Carnivals can become “more dignified, uplifting, and morally grounded.”
