Embassy Celebrates St Patrick's Day 2021
News
18 March 2021The Embassy of Ireland in Mozambique celebrated St Patrick's Day, Ireland's national day. on 17 March with a special online event which aimed to promot the link between Mozambican and Irish people, particularly in the area of culture.
The event was the culmination of the Embassy's Mozambican-Irish fusion themed social media campaign for St Patrick’s Day, which included a number of interactive activities on our social media accounts, including a quiz and social media challenges with Irish themed prizes; a focus on the alternative green theme of SPD by profiling our partners engaged in climate conscious and sustainability-focused work, including greening two of these; and an Irish coffee making video showcasing Irish and Mozambican products.
The event included a spectacular performance by Banda Kakana, who performed both their own original songs and covered traditional Irish songs such as Danny Boy and Whiskey in the Jar. Another highlight of the event was the performance of the Mozambican national anthem by a medley of musicians and choirs from Ireland, and of the Irish national anthem by youth orchestra Xiquitsi, which is supported by the Embassy.
St Patrick's Day is celebrated on 17 March across the world, marking the death of St Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. On this date people traditionally dress up in green and white and go out into the streets for celebratory parades.
This date also presents an opportunity for Ireland's diplomatic missions across the world to promote Irish culture and values, and to strengthen links with host governments.
In Mozambique, the Government of Ireland has had a development cooperation programme with the Mozambican government for over 20 years, with a special focus on initiatives in the areas of governance, health, education, agriculature, private sector development and climate resilience. More recently, the Government of Ireland has provided support to the emergency response to the situations in the centre and north of the country.
The St Patrick's Day celebrations were also marked by a visit of Ambassador Nuala O'Brien to the Maputo Central Hospital to show support and appreciation for the ongoing work and commitment of frontline workers in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, and by tree planting by the Embassy team and by Embassy partner, Gorongosa National Park.