Culinary delights at Multi-National Food Tasting Festival
On Friday last, over 200 people gathered to sample culinary delights of cultures from around the world at a multi-national food tasting festival. This unique event was held in St Patrick’s Hall, Strabane, with people from 16 nationalities attending from across the District and beyond.
Dishes on the menu came from India, Poland, Sri Lanka, the Philippines, Thailand, Hungary and Greece. A variety of cultural entertainment set the scene for the food tasting, with performances from Celtic Storm and local piper Andy Patton. The Blue Thistle Highland Dancers, the Barrett School of Irish Dancing, traditional Indian dancer Chandini Guram and Bollywood dancer Natasha Sharma also performed to an appreciative audience.
The evening aimed to promote racial harmony and good relations between local residents and those from other countries. The event was a joint initiative by the community relations department of Strabane District Council and Strabane Ethnic Community Association (SECA). The festival was opened by Strabane District Council chairman, Gerard Foley, and the chairman of SECA, Dr Narenda Babu. Dr Babu forwarded a special thanks to the SECA members who prepared the delicious food served.
Speaking after the festival, Bobby Rao, development officer for SECA, said: “It was one of the most successful events of our calendar year, well supported by the community groups and our members. I would like to thank the council, all the entertainers, the staff of St. Patrick’s Hall and the Department of Social Development for their support.”
Source: Strabane Weekly News
Multi-National Food Tasting Festival
| November 30, 2007 | ||
| 7:30 pm |
An international food tasting festival is being held in Strabane this week.
This is the second year of the ‘Multi-national Food Tasting Festival’ which has been organised by Strabane District Council and Strabane Ethnic Community Association. It will be held on Friday, November 30, in St Patrick’s Hall, Strabane, at 7.30pm.
A range of culinary delights will be presented from cultures around the world with a variety of cultural entertainment. Participants will be able to taste food from Hungary, the Philippines, Greece, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Poland and India.
Councillor Gerard Foley, Chairman of Strabane District Council said “We are committed to building relationships with citizens from all cultural backgrounds across the District. This event is all about bringing people together through their common enjoyment of food and music. The evening will serve to promote racial harmony and good relations between local residents and those from other countries. We want to promote the benefits of racial diversity and show how it enriches our society.”
Urging local people to attend, the Chairman added: “Come along and tickle your tastebuds! Participants are certain to have a very enjoyable night with the added bonus of learning things about other cultures too! ”
Bobby Rao, Development Worker for Strabane Ethnic Community Association, added: “This is the second year of the International Food Festival. Last year’s event went really well and we want to build on this success.”
Entry is free and everyone is very welcome to come along and sample the many culinary delights on offer.
Further information can be obtained by contacting Elaine Watson or Karen Tracey in the Community Relations Department at the Council Offices, 47 Derry Road, Strabane, or by telephoning 028 71 382204.
Source: Strabane Chronicle
Diwali
| November 9, 2007 |
Diwali, also called Deepavali, is a major Indian festival that is very significant in Hinduism. Known as the “Festival of Lights,” it symbolizes the victory of good over evil, and lamps are lit as a sign of celebration and hope for humankind. Celebrations focus on lights and lamps, particularly traditional dīpa or deeya. Fireworks are associated with the festival. Diwali is a colloquial name used in North India, while the festival is formally called Deepavali in South India.
Diwali is celebrated for three consecutive days at the end of Hindu month of Ashwayuja. It usually occurs in October/November, and is one of the most popular and eagerly awaited festivals in India. Diwali comes exactly twenty days after Dussehra. Hindus and Sikhs alike regard it as a celebration of life and use the occasion to strengthen family and social relationships. For Hindus it is one of the most important festivals, and beginning of the year in some Hindu calendars. There are several beliefs regarding the origin of the holiday. The most repeated version is that Hindus celebrate Diwali to mark the time when Lord Rama achieved victory over Ravana. Some also view it as the day Krishna defeated the demon Narakasura or in honor of the day Bali went to rule the nether-world, obeying the order of Vishnu. It is also a significant festival for the Sikh faith. In India, Diwali is now considered to be more of a national festival, and the aesthetic aspect of the festival is enjoyed by most Indians regardless of faith.
Source: Wikipedia
