Margarita Middle School Multicultural Festival

A recent event at Temecula Middle School aimed “to highlight diversity, bring cultural awareness to the community, promote tolerance and inspire respect for differing cultures,” according to the Temecula Valley Council of PTA. From what I saw, they succeeded.

The school held its second-annual multicultural festival on February 26, and families braved rain -- and hail -- to enjoy a free trip to distant countries.

When I arrived, the school gymnasium was pulsing with Indian music as the performer, Ragini, resplendent in her crimson and gold costume and rows of bells around her ankles, told a story about the Hindu god Krishna with her dance.

Polynesian, African, Pacific Island and Mexican folklorico dancers also performed to traditional music and rounds of applause.

It was neat to see local high school students from around the world stamping the “passports” the little kids picked up at the entrance. At the end of their travels they could claim a special treat.

The teens and their parents answered questions and were very knowledgeable in highlighting the history, culture, foods, music and natural beauty of the different countries. Vietnam, Russia, Colombia, Egypt, Greece, India, Israel, Mexico and Argentina were all represented.

Temecula’s sister cities of Leidschendam-Voorburg, Netherlands, and Nakayama-Daisen, Japan, were prominently featured as well.

For me, the biggest surprise was Moldova, situated in Eastern Europe between Romania and the Ukraine. I didn’t know the country even existed and learned that Moldova was part of the Soviet Union until it became a parliamentary democracy in the early 1990s.

At the India booth, teens and their moms looked gorgeous in their saris, and several little girls giggled as they had their hands decorated with the ancient body art known as henna.

The Egypt booth was busy with onlookers enjoying the miniature sarcophagus and tomb art. Several Egyptian families were there fielding questions about not only the culture of their native country but information about what is happening in Egypt with the overthrow of President Mubarak’s government and the unrest.

The Israel booth had information about the Israel army as well as little dreidels, four-sided spinning tops used for play during the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah.  The table featured hummus and pita chips. Hummus is one of those foods that every Mediterranean nation claims it created. A mom at the booth said that Israelis eat more hummus than Jordan, Egypt, and Lebanon together.

I got a special surprise when I noticed my Jane Austen book group leader, Rebecca Weersing, manning the Antarctica booth.

Although Antarctica is not technically a country, Rebecca was there to discuss her travels to the South Pole in 2001. She showed photos of fellow travelers enjoying volcanically heated natural pools surrounded by ice and snow. It reminded me of the Japanese Macaques, or snow monkeys, who bide their winters lounging in volcanic hot springs. Rebecca had so many photos of penguins and seals – and they were all up close and personal. She told me that the penguins aren’t afraid of humans, but the people have to respect them and keep their distance.

The students, parents and performers put on a fantastic festival that celebrated the unique gifts different nationalities bring to our community.