Around the world, culture is celebrated in so many diverse ways. 

Friday March 22nd was Newstead Wood’s annual ‘We are Newstead’ day, where students and teachers had the opportunity to embrace their individual cultures. 

Everywhere, there were so many skirts, tops, dresses and trousers with huge varieties. Each person representing unique cultures and embracing their origins in different ways. 

Did you know that there are at least 3,800 different cultures in the world? That’s more than 19 times the number of countries in the world, which is 195. 

On the day, there were many events to embrace the vast range of cultures the school has. To start off, there was a cultural runway, where many countries, like India, Sri Lanka, Morocco, Mauritius, Nigeria and more were able to show their elegant cultural clothes. But of course, that wasn’t all. Following the charming show, many different students worked together and managed to collaborate and create a display of the various beautiful aspects of each culture. There were stalls selling samosas, pani puri, and lots of pieces of gorgeous jewelry, originating from various countries. Many stalls were also selling tasty sweets and stationary sets, which all the student body loved. Overall, Jessica, a student, said “It was very diverse, inclusive and entertaining”, which tells how fun it all was, with the buzzing atmosphere, and student pride. 

Apart from the fun events on cultural day, Newstead has hosted and will host so many other cultural events. For example, recently, on the 15th of march, there was a glamorous iftar evening, to celebrate the festivities of Ramadan. For the decoration, it was decorated very well with tons of colorful balloons and additional decor, and many student volunteers were helping to hand out small snacks for everyone to break their fast. Before this, the attendees also had the courtesy of hearing Hindu and Jewish speakers, and watch some students perform a nasheed (a religious song) and recite a Surah from the Qur’an. There was also a Muslim speaker, called Yusuf Chambers, whole spoke all about his journey into Islam and as a convert from Christianity. Afterwards, everyone broke their fast, with a Surah, called Surah Rahman, playing in the background. Then it was time to pray maghrib, and the food was served. Alot of cultural food was present, like samosas, pakoras, biryani, and sweet kheer for dessert. Alongside all this, there was a henna stand, where many people got some beautiful mehndi done on their hands, and to finish off the wonderful evening, there was an auction, selling many intricate Muslim painting of many things, like mosques and Arabic calligraphy. 

There is also a special Christian Worship and Pray night coming up at Newstead, on the 19th of April, with the theme of Revival. It will be an amazing night filled with singing, hearing God’s Word and ultimately, be revived!  

There are many ways the school embraces culture, and there are many ways you can too. So, how do you normally celebrate yours?