Category: Themes, Displays, and Library Events

April 13 is Vaisakhi. Vaisakhi is a major festival on the Sikh calendar, and one of the most important days of the year. Sikhs in Canada, India, and around the world will celebrate the founding of the Khalsa, or the worldwide body of Sikhs, as established by Guru Gobind Singh in 1699. Sometimes Vaisakhi is referred to as Khalsa Day.

Vaisakhi, or Baisakhi, was traditionally a spring harvest festival, and for some, a New Year’s Day. All across northern India, particularly in the Punjab, many different groups will celebrate Vaisakhi for these various reasons, including Hindus and other non-Sikhs. Vaisakhi is traditionally observed on April 13 or 14, but may be celebrated on different days in different places. Vancouver will hold its Vaisakhi Parade on April 13, while Surrey will hold its parade, one of the largest in the world, on April 20.

The overwhelming majority of Indo-Canadians (people of South Asian origin) in our school and in our neighbourhoods are Sikhs. As such, Vaisakhi is a major holiday here in Surrey and other cities in British Columbia with concentrated populations of Sikhs, such as Vancouver and Abbotsford.

Join with us in your School Library as we celebrate Sikh Heritage Month by learning more about Vaisakhi and other aspects of Sikh culture and history.

Find out more:

• Vancouver Sun: Everything you need to know about the 2024 Surrey Vaisakhi Parade
  
• Vancouver Vaisakhi Parade
  
• World Sikh Organization of Canada
  
• SikhWiki: Vaisakhi
  
• Vaisakhi at CBC Kids
  
• BBC
  
• SikhNet
  
• Five Things You Need to Know about Vaisakhi- CBC