Culture Day @ GIBS
GIBS is known to be a multicultural school, with students of over 20 nationalities currently attending it. Given the global nature of this school, GIBS students of 7i decided to take it upon ourselves to organise an event that effectively showcases this cultural diversity; Culture Day.
This event, a day to appreciate and celebrate a multitude of rich cultures in the form of food, was held on the 5th of March 2024, and consisted of dishes from the Philippines, South Korea, Italy, Indonesia, South Africa, and Slovenia, all cooked or baked by the Culture Day team. We determined that, in order to ensure full authenticity, each dish that was provided corresponded with our heritage, with some recipes being familial.
A variety of sweet and savoury goods were made, such as Biko (a sweet, sticky Filipino rice cake), Malva Pudding (a sweet South African moist cake), Hertzoggie (South African jam-filled tartlets), Risoles (stuffed and fried Indonesian crepe), Mie Goreng Java (Indonesian fried noodles), Kimbap (South Korean seaweed rice rolls), Focaccia (Italian bread), and bread with toppings; these were sold at the stall from the long break onwards, allowing passersby to indulge in these national cuisines. In order to showcase the origins of these foods, we displayed them with small flags as well as recipe cards, allowing students and teachers who were interested in the cuisine to make it for themselves, which encourages being culturally open minded.
In the end, we managed to raise €479.90, all of which was donated to Das Marienstüberl der Caritas Steiermark, a charity that provides people with warm meals as well as protection and security in times of need. All in all, this Culture Day proved successful, not only because of others’ newfound familiarisation with native foods, but also due to the impact that could be made through the donation to a beneficial and considerate charity.
The Culture Day Team Isabelle Baliao, Gloria Fanti, Jenna Murphy, Annika Beste, Angelina Reiter, Connor Wynne, Jay Lee, Veronika Gamse, Esta Betschoga
