from the Hymers College MFL Department Issue 6
from Hymers College MFL Department November 2025
Welcome to our termly newsletter to celebrate the rich diversity within our school community and to highlight the many exciting cultures we can learn from. We aim to showcase our pupils’ voices and encourage curiosity, respect, and appreciation for the world around us.
Hear from students from Year 7 and Year 8 who write about their own cultures...
Aaditya R (Year 8)
In the part of India that I am from (Kolkata), we speak Bengali. I learnt it by hearing my parents speak Bengali in front of me and to me, and they have been speaking it to me for a very long time. I mainly use Bengali when talking to my family in India (grandparents, cousins etc.), but I sometimes use it at home as well.
For India as a whole, the most important celebration is Diwali (the festival of lights), but for Bengalis, the most important celebration is Durga Puja (the celebration of Goddess Durga). This year, Diwali is on the 20 October and Durga Puja was between 28 September and Thursday 2 October.
One of the many important stories from Indian/ Hindu culture is the Ramayana. One of the main things that I believe in is karma, or that what goes around comes around. What that implies is that however someone acts, they will receive it back.
One of my favourite Indian foods is Paneer Jalfarazi. It is basically paneer (a very popular Indian cheese), a few peppers and many different spices and flavourings.
An Indian game that I quite enjoy is CarromBoard. It is a game where you have to hit counters with a striker, and you have to try and get them in one of six holes in the board, and whoever has the highest score wins. For Hindu celebrations, the men wear a punjabi or a kurta, and the women wear a sari or a salwar kameez. I have been to many parties for these celebrations, such as Holi parties, Diwali parties, Navratri parties etc. They are fun and memorable experiences and they have helped me to connect with my cultural roots.
Ayona S (Year 7)
My mum and dad’s family are from Kolkata, in West Bengal, east part of India where Bengali is the main language spoken. At home, both Bengali and English are spoken. Over summer holidays, I started to learn writing in Bengali. Bengali culture is rich with a love for food, a strong tradition of festivals, vibrant art and melodious music. Bengali cultural values and beliefs centre on respect for elders, strong family ties and communal harmony. We address elders with formal titles, we touch their feet and seek blessings. Welcoming guests and providing food is a central part of our culture, reflected in culinary traditions. Whenever there is a piece of good news such as birth of a child or even a new job/university offer, we share it with our loved ones by giving them sweets/mishti. Bengali weddings take place over several days and celebrated elaborately in most households. On some auspicious occasions, we practise fasting. Bengali women’s traditional attire are sarees and salwar/kameez or kurtis. Men wear punjabis, dhuti and lungis.
Some of the most special events and important celebrations/holidays we celebrate are:
k Poila Boisakh (Bengali New Year, usually on 14/15 April, depending on the lunar calendar). It is a big social, cultural and national festival. We dress in traditional Indian clothes, visit shops and friends/family and eat elaborate traditional meals.
k Rabindra Jayanti (birth anniversary of Nobel Prize Laureate, Rabindranath Tagore). It is celebrated in early May, on the 25th day of the Bengali month of Boisakh. We honour his contributions towards Indian literature, music and culture.
k Dol Utsav/Holi (Spring Festival). We celebrate this at the arrival of spring with colours and is dedicated to the divine love between Radha and Krishna. We gather together with our friends and families to play with coloured powders, dance and and take part in parades.
k Independence Day (15 August). Kolkata was the capital of British India and the city observes Independence Day with traditional patriotic activities, like flag-hoisting ceremonies, parades and public gatherings.
k Durga Pujo (UNESCO World Heritage/ religious festival). It is celebrated over 10 days in the month of either September or October every year. We celebrate the victory of Goddess Durga over the demon Mohishashur, symbolising the triumph of good over evil. We exchange gifts, take part of various rituals and customs,visiting pandals to see variety of themed stages, idols and lights. We wear new clothes, eat at home and also eat out at restaurants which are open till early hours of the morning during the festival.
k Kali Pujo/Diwali (worshipping of Goddess Kali). She is worshipped at night and we light fireworks too to celebrate the triumph of light over darkness.
k Eid and Christmas are also widely celebrated everywhere with great enthusiasm and they are marked as holidays.
Kolkata’s art, music and dance scene is a vibrant mix of traditional and modern forms. It has a rich folk music heritage such as Baul music. Common musical instruments are sitar, tabla, ektara, dhaak, dhol, bamboo flute and sarod. It is a famous hub for classical, folk and modern dance. Dance forms include Rabindra Nrityo, baul dance, puppet dance, Dhunuchi Naach and also classical dance. There are many different forms of painting in bengal such as Patachitra, kalighat painting, etc. There are many cinemas and theatres all over the place.
Kolkata, also known as the city of joy, is famous for not only the different varieties of food, but also for its cha/coffee culture. Because of historical background and due to many cultural influences, we find many cuisines here - Muslim, Chinese, Portuguese, AngloIndian, British and so much more. My favourite is Bengali food. I especially love Luchi-begun, chicken er jhol, kosha mangsho, basanti polau, phuchka, chingri malaikari, alu-potol, egg/ chicken/mutton rolls and different types of fish curries. Kolkata has a very lively street food culture. The city is also famous for sweets like roshogolla, misti doi,sandesh, jilipi, payesh and so much more. There are some iconic sweet shops across the city. There is also a big Chinatown, where we find lots of street stalls and bustling markets as well as restaurants serving typical Kolkata style Chinese food. Bengalis often engage in informal chats over coffee and tea meets. Some cafes are open from 6am in the morning till midnight. At home, my mum cooks a special Bengali feast of many dishes on my birthday. Traditionally, a birthday meal/platter includes five kinds of vegetable fritters, dal/lentils, vegetable curry, fish curry, chicken and/or lamb curry, with desserts such as misti doi/Bengali yogurt, sweets,rice pudding/payesh. This is always special and it is all cooked by my mum at home.
One of my most memorable experiences was my visit to Kolkata during Durga Pujo. There were massive structures handmade and installed at every street, in each and every neighbourhood. The city does not sleep during the festival time. Every road in the city turns into like Hull Fair for 10 days. There was music/ dhaak playing and devotees workship Ma Durga. On some mornings during the Pujo we fasted until we offer prayers to the Goddess. Even at 4am in the morning, thousands of people were out on the streets to take part in the celebrations. We played games, ate varieties of food, wore new clothes everyday and experienced the most beautiful festival, and also the world’s busiest. I also found out why it is UNESCO world heritage festival. I would love to see more festivals to learn how they are celebrated in my culture.
Bronwyn T (Year 7)
At home I speak English because I am British. In Britain we like fish and chips, chip spice and Yorkshire puddings with our Sunday roasts and my favourite, drum roll please… pie!
My favourite celebration is Christmas as it is fun and I love advent calendars. We always decorate the house with a christmas tree and gnomes on doors. Then Santa comes and delivers all the presents to our house from down the chimney! As a family tradition we go to Bridlington every Christmas Eve no matter how cold it is but it is always worth it in the end.
Grandma, freezing when she quickly turns around. Anyone caught moving must return to the start, and the first player to successfully reach and tap Grandma becomes the next Grandma.
Our family also likes Easter and my mum makes a treasure hunt around the house to find our chocolate eggs. Our neighbours are really kind and give us eggs as well as our grandma.
Zea A (Year 7)
I am Afro-Caribbean-British, so I have many different things to celebrate in my very different cultures. I don’t speak it fluently yet, but my Nana speaks Swahili with me when I am at her house. I am also learning more everyday as my Tanzanian Dad is teaching me and my brother.
Holidays I celebrate many different festivals and Holidays, including Christmas, St Patrick’s, Eid, Ramadan and Easter. These times are when most of my family gathers at my Nana’s house and we all eat lots of amazing food and catch up on our lives.
Food I love all types of food, including the delicious greens my mum and Nana make, the bakes from my mum, ackee and saltfish, cocoa tea, coconut cakes and tambi.
In terms of legends in Britain there are very few. King Arther may have lived here and Robin Hood too. There is also the Loch Ness monster, possibly? These are all the myths and legends I know of about my culture.
As for art, the traditional art captures the essence of everyday life and people’s characteristics. It also likes to highlight fishing industries in Hull and basically everywhere.
There are quite a lot of churches around here. As 46.53% of Great Britain’s population are Christian. I don’t go to church but that doesn’t stop me from loving Christmas.
As for games a classic for kids is What’s the time, Mr Wolf? - here is how to play: One player is the “wolf” and stands at one end of a playing area facing away from the others. The other players ask, “What’s the time, Mr. Wolf?” and the wolf responds with a clock time. The players then take that many steps towards the wolf. This continues until the wolf calls out “Dinner time!”, at which point they turn around and chase the other players.
And also Granny’s Footsteps: One person is “Grandma” and stands with their back to the other players, who start at the opposite end of a room. Players sneak towards
Pabishalini Z (Year 7)
The language I speak at home is Tamil. Fun facts about Hindu, did you know that Hindu is the world’s oldest religion?
There is 1.1 billion who is religious in Hindus in the world. The word Hinduism mean ‘Indre’ Diwali, a five-day festival of lights symbolizing the victory of good over evil; Holi, the vibrant spring festival of colors; Dussehra, commemorating Lord Rama’s victory and Durga’s triumph; Maha Shivaratri, a night dedicated to Lord Shiva; Janmashtami, celebrating Lord Krishna’s birth; and Raksha Bandhan, a festival of family bonds. Other important dates involve the Hindu New Year, harvest festivals like Polang, and fasts like Sha.
In Hinduism, music, dance, and art are integral to worship and spiritual expression, originating from divine figures like Brahma and Shiva and codified in ancient texts like the Natyashastra.One of the most important literary works of ancient India, the Ramayana has had a profound impact on art and culture in the Indian subcontinent and southeast. Dharma (righteous living), the reverence for life (Ahimsa or non-violence), and the belief in an allencompassing spiritual reality called Brahman. Hobbies and games in Hinduism are diverse, including sports like kabaddi, kho-kho, and chess. My favourite food is rice and chicken curry.
Memorable experiences in Hinduism include participating in major festivals like Diwali, Ganesh Chaturthi, and the Kumbh Mela; meditating and chanting; performing rituals like idol immersion; studying and sharing epics such as the Ramayana and Mahabharata; and having personal spiritual experiences such as feelings of divine presence or powerful dreams.
Shiva B (Year 7)
I am Shiva and I am going to take you on a journey through the beautiful, vibrant and colourful culture of Southern India which is where my family originates from. People in India speak multitudes of languages, Tamil being one of the oldest and this the language we speak at home. Thanks to the efforts of my parents and grandparents I speak the language very fluently. I have also been learning to read and write in Tamil.
The most popular among the Tamil festivals are Deepavali and Pongal. Deepavali usually falls in October-November while Pongal is celebrated in the month of January. Deepavali is the festival of light and it is celebrated to symbolise the victory of good over evil. We enjoy this festival by wearing new clothes, sharing gifts, eating sweets and lighting firecrackers. According to Hindu scriptures, a powerful god called Lord Krishna defeated the terrifying demon Naragasura and this is why we acknowledge this amazing battle of good over evil. Some people believe that Deepavali is the day when Rama, the incarnation of Vishnu, returned from a long exile in the forest. Pongal is the harvest festival of Tamilnadu and it is dedicated to the Sun God. We say prayers to show our love to nature and cook a sweet dish that is also named after the festival. When this delicious dish is cooked, the overflowing bubbles from the pot depicts prosperity.
Other festivals such as Navarathri - a celebration of goddesses, Karthigay - day of birth of Lord Muruga, Thiruvathirai - birth of Lord Shiva and many more. The key cultural thread that connects the different celebrations of Hinduism is art which is a combination of music, dance and artwork. I am very passionate about music and I play several instruments such as the Indian flute (bansuri), the Tabla, the mridungam - double-sided drum, the Kangeera and I sing classical South Indian music in the Carnatic style. Me and my brother regularly perform at celebrations organised as part of these festivals.
Alongside learning about the English culture, I have also enjoyed my explorations of the Hindu culture and I hope to continue doing so.
Mia M (Year 8)
My name is Mia Matongorere. I live in Hull and I am originally from Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe is around the south of Africa near the coast. Both of my parents are from Zimbabwe . In Zimbabwe there are two languages you can speak which are Shona and Debli. Normally if someone who is Debli marries someone who speaks shona the Debli person normally will start speaking shona instead of the other. I don’t speak shona but I understand it. Shona is a mix between English and the Zimbabwean language. My parents speak Shona.
The food is normally meat, spinach and Sadza. Sadza is a Zimbabwean dish which is a white solid you eat with your hands . In Zimbabwe most people eat sadza and this special type of milk for dessert. A lot of people own farms in Zimbabwe like my grandad so they normally get the milk, spinach and meat from their farms.
Youyang L (Year 8)
Hello my name Youyang and my culture is Chinese but I was born in England. At home I speak mandarin and it is my first language because my parents are Chinese and that’s what I got taught first. I learnt Chinese mostly at home but I did also go to Chinese school and learned songs, poems in books. A song that I used to sing was “two tigers (Liang Zhi Lao Hu)” as it is also a popular kids song.
A special celebration in China is the Chinese new year. People get dressed in red as it symbolises good luck. On this day the people in China there would be dancing, events , shows and more. As all of these people before the new year we would clean our houses
and make them all clean because it means that you’re cleaning the bad fortune from the previous year and making good fortune this year. As also some little thing you could know about Chinese culture is that when it’s someone’s birthday in China someone may make you one very long noodle as it symbolises a long life.
Layla L (Year 8)
In my household and with my family I speak chinese, I learnt it as my first language. There are many different types of language in China, they are the same but they have different accents or slang added to them, there is mandarin, xiang and jin (examples).
Family is very important, we have many celebrations that vary in dates every year. There is the Chinese mid-autumn festival that celebrates unity as a family and giving thanks to harvest; during this time, we celebrate by eating mooncakes, which are round to represent the togetherness of the family and watching the moon. Another more famous one is Chinese New Year (or Lunar new year), there are 12 zodiac signs of the years (this year it is the zodiac of the serpent) and we celebrate by hanging up lanterns and symbols. Other examples are the lantern festival, the dragon boat festival, and National Day.
A very famous folktale is Chang-e and Hou-yi, Hou-yi was a legendary archer and was gifted the elixir of life but soon, a student of his tried to steal it so Chang-e had no choice but to swallow the elixir. Suddenly, she flew to the moon for eternity. Then the moon goddess felt sorry for him and gave them the chance to meet on every fifteenth day of the eighth month, which marks the mid-autumn festival every year (this year it was 6 October). Other folktales are ‘The Butterfly Lovers’ and ‘Sun Wu Kong’.
Alexa Z (Year 8)
My father comes from Fuzhou, Fujian while my mother comes from Guangdong, Guangzhou. Both places are culturally rich, and have multiple places of interest. I’ve visited both before. I speak Chinese at home. I learnt it through my parents who are Chinese and grew up in China. There are multiple dialects in Chinese, but the one I speak is Mandarin. My mother speaks Cantonese and my father speaks Cantonese and Hokkien too. They teach me about culture, language and poems.
In China, there are multiple festivals throughout the year. Chinese new year is an important festival. It marks the first day of the lunar calendar. Traditionally, the northern Chinese people eat dumplings. Traditionally, the South eat fish (a sticky rice dessert).
The Chinese new year story: Long, long ago, there was a dragon terrorizing the people of China. Every year, the dragon would come back to attack the people. The people discovered that this dragon was afraid of loud sounds and the colour red. When the dragon came back, they set off fireworks and decorated their houses with red. The tradition has remained throughout the years. This is why red is an important and key colour in Chinese new year celebrations.
Mid-autumn Festival The mid-autumn festival was on the 6 October this year when we had a full moon. I celebrated with my mother and my sister. The story follows Chang’e who was married to Hou Yi. When Hou Yi shot down 9 of the 10 suns to save Earth from doom, he was granted an elixir of immortality. When a greedy apprentice tried to take it, Chang’e drank it and ascended to the moon.
Some traditional Chinese instruments include the pipa, the erhu and the guzheng. Some dances include the lion dance and the dragon dance.
One of the biggest sports, if not the biggest, is table tennis. It is a key sport in China. In world sports, China dominates the table tennis sector. Peking duck is the national dish. Peking is the old name of Beijing. The dish is made through specific means. The skin is crispy, and the meat is tender. The duck is usually served with duck sauce.
Alex B (Year 8)
I speak Spanish and Catalan at home. I learnt it since they have always spoken to me in these languages and I also used to live there. I use it every day when I’m home. We eat Spanish foods like potato omelet, croquetas, and many more.
One of my favourite Spanish traditions is during the New Year. This is where you go underneath a table and attempt to eat 12 grapes before the New Year begins.
My favourite band is Take That, both Mum and I love their songs. From my Dad I acquired my great sense of humour and my taste for food. Whenever we go to Spain I love trying the latest food recipes and cuisines (mostly trying all the different types of fish or seafood.)
I found that getting into the national finals of the Spanish Spelling Bee has helped me connect with my culture more and learn interesting facts about it. I also got to interact with new people and make new friends along the way, the teachers also gave me great help and support. Overall I love both my Spanish and English side and always love each of the different cultures.
My great grandad fought in the Second World War with Germany where he made it back home. A tradition that happens every year in Spain is la corrida de toros, where they release many bulls in the streets and people run away from them. Another tradition is La Tomatina which is a tomato fight in Bunol.
A famous sport is padel which is played a lot across Spain and Mexico. This sport is starting to come into England and there are a few places around Hull where you can play this sport. Tennis and basketball are also very popular in Spain, there are many famous Spanish tennis players like Rafa Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz.
Zuriel T (Year 7)
My mum is from a city called Kaduna in the northern part of Nigeria. The city is referred to as the Crocodile city, which is derived from the Hausa word “Kada”, the plural of crocodile. This is because of the abundance of crocodiles in the Kaduna river that runs through the city.
At home, I speak a language called ‘Yoruba’, which I am still learning. In my language, to say hello/how are you? You would say ‘Bá wo ni’ and you would respond ‘A dúpé daada ni’, which translates to ‘I am very well thank you’. I practise with my mum everyday so I can sound like her and be able to hear what other family members say.
My mum often makes traditional Nigerian foods and snacks like Jollof Rice, Puff Puff, Moi Moi, Meat Pie and Plantain. Out of all of them, I like meat pie the most because of its flavour and the mince.
Mason C (Year 8)
My main foregin language is Cantonese. It is a language found mostly in Honk Kong and it is a very popular language. Even though I am not Han Chinese, I was taught this language by my parents and babysitter. I am now currently learning mandarin. My parents are Malaysian and I was born here.
Something that isn’t exactly canto is that every year the Chinese calendar changes. The 12 animals are rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog, pig. I was born on dragon and this year is a snake.
A little story my dad told was that dead relatives or close ones come back as a moth to watch you so I never kill them.
I like Chinese new year and the dragon dance, mahjong, and food such as chow mien, fried rice and char siu bao.
Foods like paella, croquettes, patatas bravas, churros, tortilla and gazpacho are very popular and traditional in Spain. There are many restaurants where you can get these dishes. Some famous Spanish songs are macarena, bailando, bidi bidi bom bom and living lavida loca.
Alice
B-G (Year 8)
I’m Alice and I’m half Spanish and half English. My dad is from a small fishing town in Spain and my mum is from the Wirral in England. Usually we go to Spain every year to visit family and socialise with old friends. I also love my English side as well. This is from where I get my music taste, my language and so much more. I am a Christian and I go to church every Sunday.
Mum reminds me that our culture is about integrity, good character, giving and most importantly our relationship with God. Faith is important to us as it guides us and keeps us grounded through our daily prayers, and it is even in the meaning of my name: “God is my rock”.
