Maria Carolina Martins
International Day has been a tradition at Saint Maur for a long time. Composed of an incredibly diverse student body and staff, our school is the perfect environment to host a successful event like this where we can showcase all the different cultural traditions and backgrounds represented in our community, while also allowing us to learn more about our peers and the world around us.
Grade 12 Classroom decorated by Ms. Aguilera
People often choose to share their culture in different ways. Many individuals in our community decide to come to school wearing their culture’s traditional garments, clothing that resembles trends or customs in their country, or simply sports jerseys. This school tradition is something that often prompts curious discussions and interesting conversations about culture and traditions. I interviewed some of the people who exhibited elaborate costumes that most certainly caught your eye during the day.
Ms. Aguilera, who is originally from Mexico, waltzed around the school wearing a traditional Mexican dance costume of mesmerizing colors. For her, sharing her culture is something very meaningful, as she is “really proud to be Mexican.” Ms. Aguilera was very enthusiastic about the day because it allows her to share her own culture with other people, which she did by “showing [her classes] some videos and discussing some interesting facts about Mexico.” She also enjoys learning about her students and peers’ “cultures, traditions, everything!” For her, the day brings the perfect excuse to “ask [people] ‘Where are you from’ and then get to know more about their culture and traditions.
Ms. Aguilera
Ms. Aguilera also shared some interesting facts about Mexican culture, like they “love spicy food, so we [Mexicans] put salsa on everything. Every. Single. Thing.” Lime is also a must-have in any Mexican household since it is added to “fruit, food, snacks, anything really.” To complement the subject of foods, she added that “[they] love tacos, of course.” Latin cultures are very family-centered and “any excuse is good to celebrate.” She fondly remembered all the different holidays they have in her country of origin – Children’s Day, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Students Day, Teachers Day, and Posadas (traditional Christmas parties) – all a day to celebrate together with your close ones.
Her inspiring mind was also the one responsible for the creative decorations in the Senior classroom, creating a festive atmosphere for the students. In her vision, this gesture is “a way to celebrate our differences” while also “representing every single one of [the seniors].” She declared that she is “very interested in getting to know more about each student beyond the regular classroom, about where they are from, the traditions, cultures that they celebrate in their own countries.” Additionally, Ms. Aguilera emphasizes the fact that being part of our international community means we are all able to make “connections, everything, everywhere” and we have the opportunity to celebrate our differences.
Mrs. Martin also decided to dress for the occasion and showed us what true Salvadoran traditional clothing looks like. She and Mr. Martin wore matching traditional male and female garments that were also composed of a dashing combination of vibrant colors, characteristic of cultural clothing in the Americas. She shared that, for her, “International Day is an opportunity to have fun and get to know about lots of different national costumes and to just enjoy the day.” She mentioned that El Salvador “is a beautiful country with lots of beaches and amazing food,” inviting us all to visit and advising us not to “be scared of the news.” Mrs. Martin also made an important reflection on what this day brings to us as international people: “I think diversity is important because it makes us more understanding of different perspectives.” She added that understanding diversity and recognizing diversity in any form, whether it be cultural, sexual, or racial, is essential to be critical and knowledgeable people and that without this understanding, “you’re not gonna be able to survive in our current world.’
Mr. and Mrs. Martin
For our third and last interviewee, we have a student, Shraddha (G11). For this cultural day, she decided to wear a beautiful piece of traditional Indian clothing, a Khamis which she said represents the aspect of female youth and is what younger women wear. For her, international day gives her the opportunity to “show what Indian culture means to Indian people” and to show the aspects that “don’t necessarily fit the stereotypes propagated by people who are not part of [the] culture.” A noble mission to work on an issue that affects many people from different cultures – stereotypes and prejudices.
International Day opens doors to experiencing new cultures and getting to know people from all around the world and their experiences, backgrounds, cultures, and traditions while bringing our community together. Whether you decided to showcase your own culture or got to know and talk to different people from other countries, I hope you got to enjoy this beautiful celebration like me and our interviewees. International Day is a beautiful festivity that brings us together in unison to celebrate the differences that make us so unique.
Maria Carolina Martins