Cultural Awareness Day celebrated at ACC

Garifuna Settlement Day is this Thursday and there are numerous cultural events taking place around the country. In Belize City today, the vibrant Garifuna culture was among the many displays at the Anglican Cathedral College school grounds. That’s because the students spent the day learning about the different ethnicities in Belize at their Cultural Awareness Day. News Five’s Delahnie Bain visited the school and has this report.

Delahnie Bain, Reporting

Music, dancing and clothing were abundant as students of Anglican Cathedral College celebrated their biennial Cultural Awareness Day. According to organizer of the event, Madrina Martinez, students experienced the country’s cultural diversity by way of the presentations.

Madrina Martinez, Organizer, Cultural Awareness Day

“Cultural awareness is for our students to go back to what they are, from where they came from and for them to appreciate who they are. Basically, the main traditions of what they are for them to understand that in Belize we have many cultures. Different students within the classrooms, they are displaying different cultures; all the different cultures within Belize—Mestizo, the Garifuna, the Creole, the Taiwanese and all the other ones that are included within Belize.”

In another cultural display, both students and teachers worked the catwalk modeling an array of ethnic apparel.

[Students and teachers modeling…]

And with Garifuna Settlement Day fast approaching, the Garinagu culture was one of the highlighted presentations.

[Garifuna drums and dancing…]

Anisha Castro, Garifuna Dancer

“Our presentation was portraying the Garifuna culture and we danced the hugu nugu, the punta, the combination, the chumba and the we danced a dance called mata muerte. Ih important fi put my culture out deh because we di lose fi we culture and den we have to educate di youths about di Garifuna people because dah dehn di lose it.”

Several primary schools joined in the cultural explosion in the ACC’s first annual youth rally held in the afternoon, which Martinez says also serves to attract potential applicants.

Madrina Martinez

“The youth rally is the one that we have invited all the primary schools, they are to come this afternoon. All the different forms, from first to fourth form, they have presentations ready for the children to enjoy. Different presentations; it can be skits, dances, all of those will be presented to the primary school students.”

Delahnie Bain for News Five.