World of Nations Celebration is an annual international festival held in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. It is North Florida's largest multicultural festival, and features exhibitions and events from a variety of countries. It has been held at Metropolitan Park every May since 1993.
The celebration is designed to showcase the diverse immigrant and international communities of Jacksonville and the northeast Florida area. It hosts over 75,000 visitors, including 12,000 children on school field trips. On Saturday morning, there is a naturalization ceremony at 10:00 am, where as many as 50 people become U.S. citizens.
Each "country" represented has its flag on display, at least one person speaking that country's official language, and serving food native to that nation. Many play traditional music and demonstrate their style of dance or relate stories from their culture. Artwork and clothing/costumes representing the country are also exhibited. The celebration also includes the "World of Kids Playland", which features arts and crafts and other programs for children.
Countries represented vary each year. Past celebrations have included Africa, Brazil, Cambodia, the Caribbean, China, Colombia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Ethiopia, the French Caribbean, Ghana, Haiti, India, Italy, Laos, Lebanon, Mexico, Nigeria, Norway, Panama, Peru, the Philippines, Poland, Puerto Rico, South Korea, Taiwan, the United States, Turkey, Venezuela, and Vietnam.
Famous quotes containing the words world, nations and/or celebration:
“A proper autobiography is a death-bed confession. A true man finds so much work to do that he has no time to contemplate his yesterdays; for to-day and to-morrow are here, with their impatient tasks. The world is so busy, too, that it cannot afford to study any man’s unfinished work; for the end may prove it a failure, and the world needs masterpieces.”
—Mary Antin (1881–1949)
“When shall we see poets born? After a time of disasters and great misfortunes, when harrowed nations begin to breathe again. And then, shaken by the terror of such spectacles, imaginations will paint things entirely strange to those who have not witnessed them.”
—Denis Diderot (1713–1784)
“Sweet weight,
in celebration of the woman I am
and of the soul of the woman I am
and of the central creature and its delight
I sing for you. I dare to live.”
—Anne Sexton (1928–1974)