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

[ClaryFray]

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?

We used to have international day at FD school when he was little. It was brilliant. Everyone dressed in their national costume and brought food.

The UK stand was always manned (womaned? Mumed?) by be and a Welsh mum. We were the UK contingent at the school (central London).

Good grub though - French, Italian, Saudi, Kuwaiti, American, Greek, Russian, Thai, Korean, Moroccan, Japanese, Chinese and Indian. And our UK table of scones, trifle, oatcakes, cheese, marmalade, scotch eggs and cake. And irn bru.

There seem to be a lot of schools sending out communications during the holidays. All so controversial too.

I remember a multicultural day when my children were in nursery and invited to wear something from their culture/nation and having absolutely no idea what I could dress my children in other than their normal clothes. There is no English national dress or anthem, so apart from the flag and English team sports wear I'm not sure what celebrations would really highlight. May day is when I recall traditional folk stuff being done, but at school we did Scottish/Irish dancing not Morris dancing.

I now live in a country with a very large British origin population, the only day celebrated is St Patricks, and only really because of the association with drinking. There are more people with Scottish heritage here but nothing for St Andrew's day, so St George's day is not alone in being largely forgotten. Having English heritage is so much the default I don't think it's seen as particularly special.

St George was a Roman soldier of Greek origin. He is patron saint of many countries and is revered by Muslims.

So quite a good choice for a multicultural day.

I also think part of the problem is that many people try to use St George’s day to exclude others e.g. it’s about being white English and it gets all super serious whereas on St Patrick’s day it’s all about inclusiveness i.e everyone gets to celebrate Irish culture and be Irish for the day. It’s about fun and the celebration of all things Irish and everyone can take part. The biggest St Patrick’s day celebrations outside of Ireland are in Montserrat in the Caribbean!

I think of St George’s day was reclaimed from weirdos with a chip on their shoulder and became a celebration and positive event, it could easily be treated like St Patricks day as England has put its stamp on every corner of the world and a lot of people around the world have a fondness for England and our royal family. Look at how many tourists we get. However, as long as it feels as though it’s part of some sort of weird superiority complex rooted in the past, it won’t catch on. Non-English literally cringe on the English obsession with the world wars and World Cup for example.

Tell your DH that St George was a roman soldier of Greek, Palestinian and Syrian origin. He is considered a saint by christians, and a prophetic figure by Muslims. And in all likelihood the historical figure of George never set foot in England. Surely with that background he's a perfect figurehead for a multicultural celebration of the fact that England has always embraced people of many different cultures?

There is no reason why your DH should refuse to let your son celebrate his culture on St George's day, and honestly it sounds like he's just throwing a hissy fit for no good reason. It will be great for you son to celebrate his own culture while also learning about other cultures from his classmates.

Your DS should take part. I also don’t think it is worth saying anything to the school. However, I do think your husband has a point.

Multicultural Day = great! There’s just no need to have it on St George’s Day. Yes, St George had a multicultural background and didn’t set foot in England but he’s still the patron saint of England. As far as I’m aware St George’s Day in England should
be more about celebrating Englishness as opposed to the saint himself. That certainly seems the case with St David’s Day in Wales and St Andrew’s Day in Scotland.

As your son’s school is multicultural then I think having a multicultural St George’s Day would have been appropriate, with all the things that we now consider to make up Englishness. Either that or ignore it completely, as it’s not really a massive thing here. I just think that in effect rebranding St George’s Day as Multicultural Day seems unnecessary and just invites ill feeling (whether justified or not) towards the school.

St Georges day isn't about excluding others and St Patricls day is only inclusive due to the
Sponsorship from Guiness - so more about a piss up.

At my DS's school, they celebrated all different festivals and had a multi-cultural day and an African
Culture day. St Georges day was celebrated as an individual day (quite rightly). I loved the diversity and am glad we had a Head teacher who ignored the loony left who think St Georges day is all about right wing thuggery.

We celebrate St Georges day in Manchester, with a fantastic parade, floats and bands and it's a fab, inclusive family day, unlike St Pats day which is all about getting pissed.

dullandold No English actually...Welsh, French, Chinese Mandarin and German.
What is your issue with a school who recognises that in 2018, lost of children have various cultural backgrounds and celebrating them in a nice way on st davids day? yes, the majority was in welsh. but there were many other cultures talked about and celebrated as well as retaining the welshness. it can be done, is my point.

God these threads always bring out the 'holier-than-thou' brigade with their "You do know St. George wasn't white or English..."

Yes, yes we know thanks. And what? What has that got to do with anything?

In this house we celebrate Bastille Day, Swiss National Day & St George's Day as all have significance to us.

OP, I can see your DH's point and I agree that is is dismissive and somewhat rude of the school to choose that day out of all others for this specific celebration. Sounds like the head has a strong case of middle-class guilt. However, it would be unreasonable to keep the kids off or send them in uniform. Dress them up as St.George and take a toy sword & dragon.

I would certainly let the school know that I found their scheduling of the event in poor taste though.

Given that the flag of St George has - sadly - been used as some kind of emblem by far-right groups, maybe the school is trying to redress the balance. Seems like a fair idea.

Actually, encouraging the kids to wear the flag, flying a few over the school & celebrating all things English would be a much better way of reclaiming the flag.

Not hiding it under someone elses.....

St George was at least half black or Middle Eastern so it would be appropriate. We celebrated St George’s Day when I was in school (majority Muslim school) and the kids loved hearing the truth behind the story. Many of the kids didn’t even know there were Christians in Arab countries and so it was educational too.

Yy to those who say that the bigger St Patrick's Day parades in Ireland have become wildly multicultural, and a major improvement on the kind I remember from the 1970s, which consisted of an aul fella in a cardboard mitre on a back of a lorry, ten Irish dancers going blue with the cold, and the local under twelves hurling team marching along in the drizzle.

I loved the Dublin parades of 1980s but I can see now that their is a lot more flair and theatricality to the parade today. There's an artistic vision (notions!) rather than just a lot of floats advertising ATA security.

St Patrick's day in Ireland isn't really a piss up at all.

Turn St George's day and St Andrews into bank holidays and maybe they'll become more of a thing. Just a thought.

St Patricls day is only inclusive due to the Sponsorship from Guiness - so more about a piss up.

Nah.

St Patricls day is only inclusive due to the
Sponsorship from Guiness - so more about a piss up.

Umm have you been to a st Patrick’s day parade in Ireland?

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

Nice try, but there really wouldn't. As if schools celebrate any of those days anyway?