Zoom Postcard from Scotch Oakburn, Tasmania, Australia

The students and staff of Scotch Oakburn, College, Tasmania hosted a fascinating Postcard Zoom session on “Traditions of the World” for students from fourteen (14) schools across the Round Square network on September 9, 2020. The participants shared images or photographs, well in advance of the call, encapsulating traditions from their respective regions. The host college called upon the participants to share their contributions and narrate stories behind their individual experiences. They spoke about Australia Day, the Calle Ocho Music Festival in Miami, the Maori New Year, the Haka from New Zealand, Bhangra dance, traditional Indian delicacies and their significance, Pohela Boishakh (Bengali New Year), Atithi Devo Bhava (the story behind the Taittiriya dictum: ‘Guest is God’), Rajo Parba (a festival celebrating womanhood), Indian heritage fairs, serenity of southern India, the Chariot Festival (Rath Yatra), the vibrant colours of Punjab and a plethora of festivals depicting richness of culture from various regions across the Indian subcontinent.

They also learnt about Japanese Rice Crackers and Kimonos, Omani Frankincense and Omani Coffee, Ekushey February (International Mother Language Day), cultural festivals from Bangladesh and the Filipino culture of Bayanihan representing fellow feeling in a community. The call then broke into Baraza groups to discuss the relevance of traditions before reconvening to share feedback from their discussions.

Gurwinder Singh, Arpit Singh and Gursimran Kaur along with the school RS Rep (PPS) participated in the Postcard session.