Uniting People Through the International Food Festival
The World Mission Society Church of God hosted the second International Food Festival on January 8, 2023 to bring friends and family together by sharing traditional food from 15 different countries. All the participants prepared everything with great consideration and enthusiasm. As a result, many people had a wonderful time with friends and family in this multi-cultural event. We believe that all who participated, gained an experience about other cultures that enhanced their perspective about the world. The Church of God hopes to continue uniting friends and family through enriching experiences.
The Main Event
The Church of God in Naperville hosted the International Food Festival annually for two years. There were double the amount of participants attending the festival this year compared to last year; over 400 visitors attended the International Food Festival. The success of the International Food Festival enabled many people to recognize the Church of God.
The event began when participants received their “passport.” This passport contained a list of all the countries present and described the dishes provided by each country. Once they tried a country’s dish, they were given a stamp to show that they had visited that country. This encouraged everyone to try all the different kinds of dishes. Each table had beautiful decorations that represented their country. Participants could go to each table and take one savory food and one sweet food.
Here is the list of all the countries represented at the festival: Greece, Guatemala, India, Iran, Mexico, Nigeria, Philippines, Poland, Puerto Rico, South Korea, Taiwan, United States, Oneida Tribe, Venezuela/Colombia, Vietnam. Mexico provided traditional pozole, cho-flan and horchata. South Korea prepared bulgogi, rice, and cucumber kimchi as well as hotteok. The Philippines prepared pancit, toronitos, and sago drinks. Vietnam had sweet and sour ribs with rice and vegetables paired with che thai. India provided chicken biryani, pani poori, and Motichoor laddu. These are just a few of the delicious dishes offered.
Some countries prepared traditional games to entertain those who attended. South Korea prepared the Buldak ramen eating contest to determine who could withstand its spiciness. The Philippines prepared the traditional dance Tinikling. This is a traditional dance in which 2 people beat, tap, and slide bamboo poles on the ground and against each other in coordination while multiple dancers step over and in between the poles.
The purpose of this event was to invite friends and families to spend a wonderful time with the members of the Church of God through delicious food. Although it is not easy to find many different cultures all in one place, the Church of God was able to bring people of diverse cultures together. Many attendees became acquainted with the diverse families in the church and built good relationships with people of different cultures. We believe that this is a step towards becoming a stronger community that accepts and understands each other.
Felt Like Traveling the World
The outcome of this event was beyond successful. Many people were thankful that they were invited because they had never experienced this kind of event before. They said they felt like they were really traveling the world, and tried food they had never tried before. We hope that by understanding other people’s culture, our community can become a safer and welcoming place for everyone. The Church of God hopes to continue inviting many different people and hosting these events in the future so visitors can feel a sense of family.
