Community Gathers to Celebrate an Afternoon of Diverse Cultural Traditions at Tapestry Event

As students entered the new year with fresh resolutions and renewed mindsets, they looked forward to broadening their perspectives at Tapestry.

Vivienne Craig ’27, a member of the Steering Committee, stated, “Tapestry is an event that is similar to the celebration Mosaic in the sense that [it brought] the Holton community together in understanding different cultures.” Mosaic was Holton’s cultural festival that ended before the COVID-19 pandemic.

This event, organized by Director of DEIB Sherry Wells, promoted cultural learning through different stations that introduce aspects of important celebrations.

Craig added that this day is an important step in building a more inclusive community “because it will allow the members to see others through various cultural lenses, which will ultimately allow them to see the humanity of others more profoundly.”

The event took place on the Friday of exam week, after a thoughtful morning of discussions about mental health. Parent volunteers led activities, along with help from affinity groups.

Noor Poshni ’27, another member of Steering, described Tapestry as “a school-wide event that is taking place from 1 pm to 3:30 pm on January 23. Students [were placed] into groups with people from all grade levels, and they traveled to different stations to learn about a different holiday or cultural tradition.” Affinity groups were encouraged to bring in food and teach fun dances or games.

Students not only enjoyed an afternoon filled with cross-cultural connections but also had the opportunity to interact with members of the community. In particular, Upper Schoolers will share parts of their identity that may resonate deeply with their younger peers.

London Dugan ’27, secretary of the Black Student Union (BSU), is excited to share that members of BSU created a station related to Juneteenth and to experiences like Nigerian identity. She added that “students [were] excited for great food and learning about our culture and traditions!”

The East Asian Student Union planned stations relating to holidays such as the Lunar New Year, the Mid-Autumn festival and Chuseok, Korea's mid-autumn harvest festival.

The group plans on incorporating traditions such as paper-cutting, calligraphy and the sharing of Hong Bao, also known as the traditional red envelopes given to loved ones during the Lunar New Year.

Other affinity groups will also share their stories in creative and interactive

ways, marking a day to learn about and share the school’s diversity.