The time of year when cultural diversity converges within Sancta Maria College is during our annual Twilight Cultural Festival, which occurred on 18 October 2024. Students, parents, and teachers decorated our school and proudly represented their countries through clothing, delectable dishes, and entrancing performances.
Within school hours, the Cultural Prefects and the Student Festival Committee were busy running around campus on the day of the event, preparing for the upcoming celebration. Preparations began earlier than this, with many costumes and performances being made and choreographed in the secret space of home. On the day, preparations ranged from coordinating decorations to setting up audiovisuals and cooking scrumptious sausage sizzles for students. Despite the boiling weather, volunteers from the committee managed to complete their preparations perfectly. Eventually, performances such as music and traditional dances were held for all our school community to enjoy and to enhance their knowledge of diverse cultures and traditions from around the world.
At the peak of 4:15 pm, visitors flooded into C Block courtyard. Within the bustling, hot crowd, filled with laughter and chatter, numerous talented student-led performance groups were displayed on the stage; each show laced with historical significance unveiled in front of the audience. Moreover, the myriads of food stalls lined up momentarily, transported people to the heart of various countries’ cultural cuisines – a few being the Philippines, Sri Lanka, China, Mexico, India, Samoa, Tonga, Korea, Aotearoa, Indonesia, and Vietnam. The music intertwined with cheers and applause as each performer bowed and faintly left the stage.
Overall, the annual Cultural Festival exhibited various cultures and traditions from around the world in Sancta Maria College. Not only did it provide insight into different cultures, but it enhanced our community’s sense of unity.
We would like to thank all the parent volunteers who organised the food stalls, teachers, staff, and cultural festival committees—cultural prefects, students, and all attendees—for their help. Furthermore, we’d like to thank Mrs. Kevern for hosting this annual cultural festival and uniting different heritages on this special day.
