French Heritage Week officially began Thursday, July 9, at Lindbergh Bay Hotel, where community members, government officials and visiting delegates from St. Barthélemy gathered to celebrate the enduring friendship, heritage and cultural ties between the neighboring islands.
For generations, the waters between St. Thomas and St. Barthélemy have connected families, traditions and culture. Thursday’s opening celebration reflected both that shared history and a renewed commitment to strengthening those ties for future generations.
The celebration came just four months after the U.S. Virgin Islands and St. Barthélemy signed a historic twinning agreement in St. Thomas, formally recognizing centuries of cultural, educational and economic ties while creating new opportunities for collaboration. During the evening, the Government of the Virgin Islands proclaimed July 9 as Virgin Islands St. Barths Friendship Day, recognizing the longstanding relationship between the neighboring islands and the generations of migration, commerce and cultural exchange that continue to unite them. The proclamation also acknowledges the March twinning agreement and renewed regional connectivity as milestones in strengthening that partnership.
The opening event brought together community members, government officials and visiting delegates from St. Barthélemy, including Marie-Angele Aubin and Fabrice Querrard, for an evening highlighting the history and enduring friendship between the neighboring islands.
Guests enjoyed traditional food and drinks, live music, raffles and interactive exhibits celebrating the French heritage woven throughout the Virgin Islands. One of the evening’s featured attractions was an interactive map, created through a collaboration between Carolina de Lyrot and the Caribbean Genealogy Library, allowing attendees to trace their family surnames to villages throughout St. Barthélemy. The Caribbean Genealogy Library also hosted a genealogy exhibit showcasing the historical connections between families on St. Thomas and St. Barthélemy, offering visitors an opportunity to learn more about their ancestral roots. Trivia contests rounded out the evening’s activities, encouraging guests to test their knowledge of French heritage and culture.
Among those reflecting on the significance of the evening was Odile de Lyrot, a driving force behind French Heritage Week and one of the key individuals whose efforts helped cultivate the partnership that led to the twinning agreement. De Lyrot said the celebration reflects both the strength of the islands’ shared history and a vision for their future together.
“French Heritage Week is not about where we’re coming from, but where we’re going together,” de Lyrot said.
She said one of the week’s greatest strengths is its ability to bring people together around a common heritage.
“The ties between our islands have never truly disappeared,” she said.
The evening celebrated a friendship rooted in generations of shared history while looking toward a future of continued collaboration between the U.S. Virgin Islands and St. Barthélemy.
