MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
Falkland Islanders celebrate Cultural Diversity Day with food, history, music and dance
MLA Barry Elsby organizer of the event and a great enthusiast of the cultural diversity of the Falklands 
'Rush hour' at one of the food stalls where the culinary diversity was on display 
A proud Falklands' Chilean lady dressed in her roots' dress. Traditional dancing of the Chilean cueca was also one of the many entertainments 
The St Helena stall was present with their pilai dish and later with a demonstration of dancing and singing 
Activities for children included face painting, learning new games from the Falklands, St Helena, Chile and the Philippines, and of course a magician The Falkland Islands celebrated on Saturday 10 October cultural diversity day with a series of events starting in the morning and going on until the early hours of the next day. This was the second event organized on the back of an initiative by MLA Barry Elsby who has responsibility for culture within his portfolio to demonstrate how diverse Falklands culture is.
Falklands have a population of only 3000 people but the last census showed that they were born in dozens of different countries, (53) before moving to the Islands and making it their home.
The day celebrated this cultural diversity with food, history, music and dance. It started in the morning with talks and displays in the award nominated new museum (Museums and Heritage Awards for Excellence 2015).
Typical Falklands and delicious home-made camp “smoko” was also available for people to try.
In the afternoon events centred around one of the community halls where stalls featuring traditional home made Falklands food stood side by side with stalls laden with food from St Helena, Chile and the Philippines.
Pre-supermarket days, smoked Falkland trout, lamb tongue pate, Upland Goose sausages and salt beef were just some of the tasty Falklands' treats sampled by many for the first time.
The stalls also featured traditional hand made Falklands horse gear, films of life in “camp” as well as films and information from all the other cultures in the Islands.
Throughout the afternoon there were activities for children including face painting, a magician and, perhaps most popular, learning new games from the Falklands, St Helena, Chile and the Philippines.
In the early evening a packed hall watched demonstrations of traditional dancing from the Falklands as well as the Chilean Cueca, St Helena but the biggest round of applause was for dancing from the Philippines.
The evening ended with a family dance featuring traditional Falkland bands as well as groups from Chile, St Helena and the Philippines.
The day was a great success but the trouble next year will be finding space for all the other cultural groups in the Islands who want to take part.
Although the events on Saturday were free, more than £1,100 was collected through generous donations which covered costs and left a small amount over to be used towards future events.
Below the link Dr. Barry Elsby MLA’s gives his impression about the succesfull event .
Top Comments
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Read all commentsNo, no that can't be right, they are all as 'British as Londoner's' aren't they? Or so we are led to believe by some on here. Yet 56 different nationalities voted in a referendum to remain a BOT, fancy that, they voted to retain their 'Colonial Master' and chose to remain part of that 'evil English empire'.
Oct 20th, 2015 - 09:52 am 0But that is democracy and self determination for you, the people have spoken. It's 2015 not 1965 or 1833 and that is the way the world works these days.
The argies would be incapable of organising an event such as this because they have proven, time and time again, they cannot hold a piss-up in a brewery.
Oct 20th, 2015 - 11:37 am 0:o)
¡Viva Chile!
Oct 20th, 2015 - 06:59 pm 0We have better empanadas than Argentina anyway...
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