Welderlies Peace Festival and Wedding Celebration

Saturday 19th May was a special day nationally. It was the day of the Royal Wedding between Prince Harry and Meghan and communities were encouraged to celebrate in whatever way they could. A Welderlies Peace Festival and Wedding Celebration was organised at Longheath Gardens.

The highlight was a large screening of live event on the wall, followed by a light buffet in a hall beautifully decorated for the occasion. After the ceremony, one of the couples that attended who had just celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary cut our elderflower-based ‘wedding cake’ slightly like the actual Royal Wedding Cake. We also raised a toast to the newlyweds with non-alcoholic wine.

The after lunch share and learn talks that followed focused on simple ceremonies practiced by certain communities that are believed to promote peace and enhance marriages.

In Sierra Leone for example there is the breaking and sharing of cola nuts by the two families at a traditional ‘cook’ held days before the wedding as a way of bringing the two sides together. This was done at our celebration- the first person took a pinch of the large nut, that had been washed and left sitting in lightly salted water, then passed on the large piece to the next person to take their own pinch and so on as it went around person to person until everyone had their piece. We were amazed at the level of willingness with which it was done, with everyone eating their piece of nut, many for the first time, thus sealing peace among us. Whereas in India exchanging a slight bow with clasped hands is a way of showing respect and peace.

We were delighted to have Councillors Maddie Henson of Addiscombe East and Richard Chatterie of Shirley North with us throughout that afternoon. Each attendee got a ‘wedding’ souvenir to take home.

A wedding card signed by everyone was sent to the happy couple at Clarence House. To our greatest joyful surprise we received a ‘thank you’ note with a portrait