Join us in your School Library as we celebrate Asian Heritage Month in May. Canada is a country filled with people who have backgrounds and heritage from all over the globe, including the vast landmass we call Asia. Canada has a long history of immigrants coming from such places as China, India, Korea, the Philippines, Vietnam and the many other nations of Asia, including places in the west of the continent such as Syria, Iraq, Georgia, Israel and Palestine. Be sure to visit us, both in person and online, to find out more.
Come down to your School Library to find out more about Earth Day and all the issues that we face in terms of protecting life on this planet.
If you are looking for a quick introduction to the scientific understanding of the issues of climate change, this is a great place to start: This is Climate Change: A Visual Guide to the Facts: See for Yourself How the Planet is Warming and What it Means for Us, by David Nelles & Christian Serrer.
What they (the authors) were hoping to find was a book that explained the nuts and bolts of climate change and presented the scientific evidence in a way that was concise and enjoyable to read. After a long and fruitless search, they eventually gave up and instead decided to write it themselves.
“Who’s Behind the Book”, Nelles and Serrer, 128)
An excellent feature of the book is the comprehensive bibliography that can be reached by QR code or by using the given URL. Go here to see the Bibliography.
Earth Day takes place every year on April 22. Celebrate your home planet, the only planet that currently we can live on. Will we do what we need to do to protect it as much as possible? Come down to your School Library to find out more.
Sikhs in Canada and all over the world celebrate Vaisakhi today and in different ways over the coming week. Sikhs mark Vaisakhi as a celebration of the founding of the Khalsa, the establishment of the Sikh religion. Sikhs also join with many South Asians, and people with South Asian heritage, in celebrating the New Year. Sikhs will attend the Vancouver Vaisakhi parade on April 15, and what is expected to be even bigger, possibly the biggest Vaisakhi parade in the world, on April 22 in Surrey. Vaisakhi Mubarak: Have a blessed Vaisakhi.
April 14 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 15, while Surrey will hold its parade, one of the largest in the world, on April 22.
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 in British Columbia, and especially in cities with concentrated populations of Sikhs, such as Surrey and Abbotsford.
Jesus of Nazareth, the central figure of Christianity, was a Jew living in 1st Century Palestine. Jesus taught many things that challenged the religious and political power of the day. Eventually he was captured and executed. Good Friday commemorates the Crucifixion, the horrific method of execution used by the Romans, who hung him on a cross until he was dead.
The followers of Jesus believed that he rose again on the following Sunday. The believers began to share their faith throughout the Roman world. Easter, like many pagan festivals of the Romans, became a Christian holiday celebrating the Resurrection.
While Christmas is a much bigger holiday in terms of secular, commercial and cultural impact, many Christians feel that Good Friday and Easter Sunday are more integral to their faith.
April is Sikh Heritage Month in Canada. Celebrate with us in your School Library as we learn more about the history and culture of the Sikhs, and the ongoing contributions and achievements of Sikhs in Canada.
Lord Tweedsmuir Secondary School Library 