They are the world

Photography: Jim Davis

DAVIE | St. David School celebrated its heritage – or rather, its two dozen heritages – at its first-ever cultural festival Feb. 5, 2023.

The festival brought about 400 to the covered Activity Center for food, dance, music and displays of 25 nations – all of them countries of origin for St. David students and their families.

They included not only the usual Cuba and Puerto Rico, but also Ghana, Germany, Japan, El Salvador and other far-flung lands.

Held in the covered student activity area, the festival began like an entry to Ellis Island, the U.S.’ main immigration station in New York in the 19th and early 20th centuries.

People walked up to the festival entrance and received booklets resembling passports. They filled in their names and countries of origin.

From there, the festival ran like a World’s Fair, with passport holders visiting tables showing items from each nation. Parents and students gleefully showed books, clothes, leaflets, necklaces and other items from their homelands.

The festival-goers got their passports stamped by the host countries. The books also had pages for writing what the holders liked about each country, including their own.

For their part, the students got into the spirit of the day. Some flitted around the area, flags flapping like capes on their backs. Many wore national garb, including a kilt, a kente cloth skirt and kimono-like yukatas. They got to show off their outfits in a Parade of Flags, marching around the court twice.

Four sixth-graders clustered around a cutout of the Statue of Liberty for a photo, one of them even sporting a torch and spiky crown provided by the school. They later joined in running a table shared by Poland and Argentina.

“This is important,” said Zoe Zitnick, the torch holder, who was celebrating her English heritage. “Everyone should feel they're represented and that they have a part in the world.”

Parents, too, got into the international spirit. Nicole Andreu wore a Bavarian dress as she worked a table representing Germany.

“It’s important to understand each other and get along,” Andreu said. “When we understand why people do things differently, it can enrich our lives.”

Miki Busscher set up a table for her native Japan, garbing herself and her two daughters in yukata dresses. Among the items on her table was an old family photo, showing reverence for her forebears.

Busscher said she was raising the girls in traditions of both countries. “America is a very diverse country, and Japan is united. When the girls grow up, they’ll need to know the culture and identity of both.”

Father Steven O'Hala, pastor at St. David Church, saw the varied crowd as a microcosm of the worldwide Catholic Church itself.

“People don’t realize the diversity here,” said Father O'Hala, who dropped in between appointments. “This shows the unity of the Church.”

St. David also brought in some talent. David Campbell played a medley of bagpipe music. The South Florida Cloggers turned out three lines of teens for rhythmic stomping. Polynesian Proud Productions did some vigorous dancing, with members from Hawaii, Tahiti, Samoa and New Zealand. Then the dancers gave the flowered necklaces known as leis to school officials.

“We think of a lei as a hug you wear all day long,” said Talani, director of the dancers.

The festival had been in the works since August, said organizer Jennifer Cellucci. She said the theme was chosen to match that of Catholic Schools Week, Jan. 29-Feb. 4 this year.

St. David staff are also using the festival as a starting point for the school’s 50th anniversary next year. “It’s the right time to celebrate a diverse community of faith,” Cellucci said.