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Original poster

School celebrating multicultural day, on St. George's day.

141 replies

ClaryFray · 04/04/2018 13:26

Hi all,

Just got a Facebook post from DS school saying that on 23rd April they will be celebrating multicultural day the children can wear colors of there flags and share facts with other children. No problems. Had a quick google as I'm a teaching assistant and my work hadn't done anything, normally we run lesson plans around three days if not actual dress up days. And I found the official date was October 15th I think. Thought it was weird, but thought no more of it.

Read out post to DP who says he won't support it until October when the day actually is because they should learn about St. George's day on that day.

A few of the comments I the schools Facebook page are the same nature ignoring a day to try not to offend. But I think DS will enjoy the dress up, I think maybe it's bad timing by the school but can see why. DP says no, DS will be going in uniform or staying off.

Who is BU?

OP posts:
ShawshanksRedemption · 04/04/2018 14:11

@PaintedHorizons There was a huge celebration over St Patrick's day - which s fine and fun - but I can't imagine it being hijacked and everyone being fine with it.

St Patricks has been hijacked by Guinness and all sorts of non-Irish using it as an excuse to get pissed. Not exactly a celebration of Irish culture.....

BitOutOfPractice · 04/04/2018 14:11

St George's Day is a day that nobody in England is in the slightest bit bothered about until some perceived slight on their Englishness (whatever that is!) on that day. Then all of a sudden it's vital to their very identity and wellbeing

YourVagesty · 04/04/2018 14:12

there's enough room in the academic year for both.

As a Welsh person, I can't imagine this happening in a Welsh school on St. David's Day. If this thread is real, then the school has made a very odd and provocative decision.

DullAndOld · 04/04/2018 14:13

Wales is different

viques · 04/04/2018 14:15

OP you could always go out on a limb and insist on your child celebrating the death of Shakespeare rather than a foreign saint who never set foot in the country and is remembered for killing mythical beasts.

"So,St Patrick, what did you do for Ireland?"
" got rid of the snakes .every last one of them, driven into the sea by me singlehandedly."
"And St George, what is your claim to fame for England?"
"Where? Oh England, yes, lovely little country so I'm told, but too cold for me. Could have done with a few dragons to warm them up a bit, if dragons were real of course. Oops, forget I said that, of course dragons are real..."

ravenmum · 04/04/2018 14:16

I'm very far from being nationalist - don't even live in the UK any more - and think the idea of a multicultural celebration is great, but the school is looking for trouble choosing that day. I'd have a word with the head and suggest they do it on another day, e.g.: www.un.org/en/events/culturaldiversityday/

Parkrunner25 · 04/04/2018 14:18

"Send him in the flag colours for the UK"

St George is the patron saint of England, not the UK.

Andylion · 04/04/2018 14:19

Is there no national holiday in England? We have Canada Day, formerly Dominion Day, on which everyone is encouraged to celebrate the country. In my city, many other cultures are also celebrated. Recently, in some cities, there were parades celebrating Greek independence.

TittyGolightly · 04/04/2018 14:23

Just imagine the reaction if St Patrick's/St David's/St Andrew's Day was bumped out of the way for a Multicultural day - there would be uproar.

World book day regularly happens on 1st March - aka St David’s Day.

DullAndOld · 04/04/2018 14:24

" Is there no national holiday in England? "
not a specifically English one , no. It is the UK that has national holidays. They do differ slightly between NI, Scotland, and England and Wales.

DN4GeekinDerby · 04/04/2018 14:25

St George's Day is a day that nobody in England is in the slightest bit bothered about until some perceived slight on their Englishness (whatever that is!) on that day. Then all of a sudden it's vital to their very identity and wellbeing

Agreed. Every year the local paper full complaints about St. George celebrations either not being on the 23rd or not being big enough or whatever. They always ignore that the public St. Patrick celebrations here - just like the St. George ones - are always moved to the closest Saturday (and is far smaller as it's funded by a community group rather than partially by the council). Many schools likely don't do any of the saint days, let alone all of them.

OP There are dozens of multicultural days, different places do it differently, most likely it was just conveniently picked possibly since Earth Day, which is the day before, is a Sunday this year and lots of places do a mix of environmental and multicultural stuff around that time for that. Or as others say it could be to show how multicultural St George and England is. I think your DP needs to channel his energy better than getting a bee in his bonnet over this - like looking into local community groups doing events for St George that you can enjoy rather than expecting the school to do it for him.

BitOutOfPractice · 04/04/2018 14:25

The next person who points out that St George is not the patron saint of the UK, but England, goes to the sin bin for an hour!

TheOriginalEmu · 04/04/2018 14:27

As a Welsh person, I can't imagine this happening in a Welsh school on St. David's Day. If this thread is real, then the school has made a very odd and provocative decision

our welsh medium school held a school eisteddfod, which is, i agree, inherently welsh. however children played instruments including bongos and harps, and ukeleles for the musical competitions. songs from all kinds of nationalities. they sang in no less than 4 languages, they did plays based on 1970s America, modern day Japan and france whenever joan of arc was....we also had a song in chinese that our partner school taught us, whilst we taught them the welsh national anthem and they sent us a video of it. i'd say thats pretty multicultural really!

TammyWhyNot · 04/04/2018 14:28

Your DH is being a knob.

Multicultural Day is a good way to think about what makes up 'culture'. Would you celebrate the fact that you like roast dinners / bonfire night / halloween / queuing, or whatever on St George's Day?

DRess your DC in red white and blue and ask them what they like or enjoy about living in this country, and give them a costume or a prop that represents that.

It is totally different from St George's Day.

It sends a bad message to your child and will make your family look like xenophobic knobs if you keep your child off school rather than look at the many-cultured community your school represents.

DullAndOld · 04/04/2018 14:29

I would say there are very few things less multicultural than your average Eisteddfod, however you try to spin it. Just saying.

kw1091 · 04/04/2018 14:31

I personally think that the greatest thing about our little country is our multicultural society and our acceptance of culture. Why not celebrate St George’s day this way? I personally have never celebrated St George’s day.

DrEustaciaBenson · 04/04/2018 14:31

Of course, St. Patrick was actually English ....

No he wasn't. Where on earth does that idea come from? England didn't exist when St Patrick was alive.

No one is claiming St George was English, afaik. But he is an important character in English folklore.

St Andrew wasn't Scottish and is the patron saint of several countries beside Scotland. Should the Scots not celebrate St Andrew's Day?

SimonBridges · 04/04/2018 14:33

I think it sounds like a great idea for children from many other countries to share their culture and history.

It’s not stopping St George’s day but celebrating everyone.
How can your DH be so fussed when you didn’t know what day it was? It’s clearly not regularly celebrated in your house if you don’t know the date.

IIlustriouslyIllogical · 04/04/2018 14:33

Are those generally celebrated in English schools? weird!

Used to be - not "celebrated" as such, but they were acknowledged & a bit of history was discussed in the assembly.

I don't see the need to bump one of our 4 National Days for Multicultural Day, there are plenty of other days they could have picked....

IIlustriouslyIllogical · 04/04/2018 14:36

It’s not stopping St George’s day but celebrating everyone.

But on St Georges day.

Sounds like the Head has their own agenda.

bingoLounge · 04/04/2018 14:36

I think it's rude to dismiss St George's Day and have this event on this day. At the same time, pride in your own country does need to be tempered. Appreciation of differences is much more important.

At the same time, International Day (as it was called at British International Schools my children went to) was always amazing. The highlight of the year with food, costumes and general appreciation of being 'global citizens'. For me it summed up the best thing about being part of such multicultural communities. A real boon for those 3rd culture children.

HesterShaw · 04/04/2018 14:37

Thanks all. That was my idea. Send him in the flag colors for the uk.

No, don't do that. St George has nothing at all to do with most countries in the UK Hmm

DGRossetti · 04/04/2018 14:37

Of course, St. Patrick was actually English ....

No he wasn't. Where on earth does that idea come from? England didn't exist when St Patrick was alive.

Arg ! My bad.

British (probably).

HesterShaw · 04/04/2018 14:38

Oops, sin bin for an hour for me.

MirriVan · 04/04/2018 14:38

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