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.
The School Library is pleased to participate in the inaugural First Peoples in Residence program at LTSS. We welcome District Indigenous Cultural Facilitators Becky Parker, Nanette Jackson and Leo Linklater. All week long our students and staff will have the opportunity to learn more about First Peoples culture, history, art, music, worldviews, ways of being, and more.
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.
Earth Day is April 22. Join us in April, all month long, as we celebrate the Earth, and learn more about what we need to do to protect life on this planet, our only home in the universe. Come down to your School Library in person, and continue to visit us online, to find out more.
Thomas Cahill, an American scholar and writer, was born on this day in 1940. Cahill was known for his “Hinges of History” series, including the much celebrated book, How the Irish Saved Civilization. Cahill died in 2022.
Enjoy St. Patrick’s Day on March 17! And enjoy the entire month of March in the School Library as we feature books and other library resources to celebrate all things Irish and Ireland.
Lord Tweedsmuir Secondary School Library 