28 countries represented at St Mark’s Culture Day

Culture Day at St Mark’s Community School, Tallaght, is the students’ “favourite day of the year,” according to teacher Rebecca Morrin.

In its seventh year, Culture Day in St Mark’s gathered over 900 students from 28 countries on Thursday, March 13, and welcomed the Indian ambassador to Ireland Akhilesh Mishra.

Organised as a “food market,” where typical dishes from all represented countries are available, the event is then enriched by dance and music performances and a “cultural fashion show.”

“We had dancing from India, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Lithuania, Ukraine, Brazil,” said Ms Morrin who co-ordinated the event this year.

“The school choir sang Irish songs, and the Irish school band played, then we had a Ukrainian singer.”

Over 100 students were involved in the performances.

“The kids love it, and they practice so much before it. They absolutely love to share their cultures and it’s their favourite day of the year. They’re really looking forward to it.”

Besides food, each country’s “table” displays traditional clothes, information on the language, music and traditions. The students put a “huge amount” of effort into showing what makes them most proud of their heritage.

“Although we celebrate what makes each of our cultures unique and different, it is also a day when we can see all the things that we have in common,” wrote the school.

“Our Culture Day has successfully broken down many of the barriers between our students teaching us to value, appreciate and respect one another.”

The presence of the Indian ambassador representing part of St Mark’s multicultural fabric made the day “extra special,” they added.