Sacred Golden Pod Breaking Ceremony

Witness the Sacred Golden Pod-Breaking Ceremony. A unique ceremony, honouring memory, migration, resilience & liberation through cocoa.
About this Event

You are invited to register for Part One: The Reflective Gathering, an intimate, invitation-only gathering taking place at Sheffield Town Hall as part of The Sacred Golden Pod-Breaking Ceremony.

Held as a  World Chocolate Day commemorative celebration, this carefully curated gathering brings together community elders, traditional leaders, cultural custodians, civic and faith leaders, artists, scholars and invited guests in a sacred space of contemplation, dialogue and cultural exchange. Together, we will encounter cocoa beyond a commodity, but as a living archive of memory, migration, resistance and repair. Through reflection, storytelling and collective participation, guests will explore the histories and lived experiences carried within cocoa from cultivation and colonial exploitation to contemporary struggles for dignity, justice and collective liberation.

Held in honour of the late Dr Pious Nyandoro, whose life and legacy continue to inspire reflection on dignity, belonging and our shared humanity, this gathering offers a meaningful opportunity to pause, reflect and reconnect with our shared commitment to truth, justice, healing and collective repair.

Guests registered for the Reflective Gathering will remain at Sheffield Town Hall throughout the event. While they will not participate in the public procession through the city, they will unite with those returning from the procession for the culminating Sacred Golden Pod-Breaking Ceremony. Together, participants will share in a powerful ceremonial experience of music, storytelling, ritual and cultural performance, honouring ancestral resilience and celebrating our shared journey towards dignity, justice and collective liberation.

What to expect

• An intimate, invitation-only Reflective Gathering at Sheffield Town Hall.
• Reflection, dialogue, storytelling and cultural exchange.
• The presence of traditional leaders, cultural custodians, scholars, artists and community representatives.
• Special performances by the Sheffield Community Choir.
• Participation in the concluding Sacred Golden Pod-Breaking Ceremony as procession participants return to Sheffield Town Hall.
• A shared moment of remembrance, cultural reconnection, solidarity and collective hope.

Dress code

Formal or traditional attire is required. We encourage guests to dress in a manner that reflects the dignity and ceremonial nature of this special occasion.

Photography

To honour the sanctity and ceremonial nature of this gathering, personal photography and filming will not be permitted. An official photographer will document the occasion, allowing all participants to be fully present in this shared moment of remembrance, reflection and cultural connection.