Hey guys,
I'm doing a bit of research on how Hindus preserve their culture in Canada. Here are a few questions I have. I am tackling this from the angle of how festivals are celebrated in both countries(India and Canada). Two festivals I am currently focussing on are Diwali and Holi.
How do you celebrate these two festivals here?
How is it different from the way you celebrate it In india and what are the major advantages/disadvantages and comparisions/Nostalgia etc?
Any and all thoughts are welcome. Thanks
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Quote:
Originally posted by jake3d
Hey guys,
I'm doing a bit of research on how Hindus preserve their culture in Canada. Here are a few questions I have. I am tackling this from the angle of how festivals are celebrated in both countries(India and Canada). Two festivals I am currently focussing on are Diwali and Holi.
How do you celebrate these two festivals here?
How is it different from the way you celebrate it In india and what are the major advantages/disadvantages and comparisions/Nostalgia etc?
Any and all thoughts are welcome. Thanks
Hey Jake3D,
With so many competiting theories, can you tell me why you think people started celebrating Diwali?
Regards,
TD
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India Canada Bhai-Bhai
Jake,
Fortunately cities like Toronto where desi population is quite large the difference is not much. The folk festivals like Navaratri, as you should be knowing, are celebrated almost the same way as in India.
One major difference I could think is the day on which the festival is celebrated. On India it is based on the lunar calendar and here they are celebrated during the closed weekend. This is especially true for festivals those are celebrated in public (in Mandirs). The festivals which are among the families are of course celebrated on the given day (if one continues to celebrate)
Another difference is the number of festivals you can celebrate. For example in India, on the Shiv Ratri, you do certain things. Here it is not possible and many people even don't remember when the festival came and gone.
Diwali is still very important and people do celebrate it. The temples organize good events and you can do everything you want to do. Many things are even better than India. Like you are celebrating with fewer crowds.
Those who are associated with a particular social/religious group have better opportunities to celebrate festival the India way.
The festivals which I am missing most are - Duleti (next day of Holi) and Uttarayan. Yes you can fly the kites in a park but that is a different story. We do have a holy fire for Holi and we do play Duleti in a group, but that does not have a charm of India.
In the small towns, celebrating festivals should be problem, I think. I never lived in a small town so very difficult to say anything about it.
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A Proud Indian Canadian
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/2139539.cms
NEW DELHI: If you thought Karva Chauth was an all-women affair, with the hubby's well being as its epicentre, think again.
This mainly north Indian festival gets glitzier by the year - a party that whole families now celebrate together, rather than just your traditional devoted wife.
Today, these wives will fast all day, and sit around goddess Gaura Mata, with a spherical clay pot called karva to pray for their husbands' long life.
Once this ritual is over, all that separates these women from their dinner is sighting of the moon, and then the husband's face.
For some reason this must be done through a sieve.
But the fasting puts off some. "It's the only bit I find hard to take. Why won't husbands ever fast for their wives? I love my husband, but I don't have to fast and pray to show it," explains Ajanta, 34, a bank executive.
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You know you are a desi when ........ You spew forth the virtues of India, but don't want to live there...............You've never had a tanning salon membership
Location: Private location
Posted on: 10-10-06 12:41:25
Quote:
Originally posted by Loser
"It's the only bit I find hard to take. Why won't husbands ever fast for their wives? I love my husband, but I don't have to fast and pray to show it," explains Ajanta, 34, a bank executive.
I agree!!
The moon was covered by all the cloud yesterday so didn't get to break the fast till after 9.30pm after calling on other relatives to see if they had seen the moon, which they said they had.
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Bijou Bazaar
http://bijoubazaar22.googlepages.com
Quote:
Originally posted by Garvo Gujarati
Jake,
Fortunately cities like Toronto where desi population is quite large the difference is not much. The folk festivals like Navaratri, as you should be knowing, are celebrated almost the same way as in India.
One major difference I could think is the day on which the festival is celebrated. On India it is based on the lunar calendar and here they are celebrated during the closed weekend. This is especially true for festivals those are celebrated in public (in Mandirs). The festivals which are among the families are of course celebrated on the given day (if one continues to celebrate)
....
In the small towns, celebrating festivals should be problem, I think. I never lived in a small town so very difficult to say anything about it.
thanks for the feedback GG. I agree that in big cities festivals are celebrated *almost *the same way.
heres something I found in the course of my research.
http://www.diversitynow.ca/features/article.jsp?content=20041210_091759_6684
Being a Christian, I find that in Canada almost everyone ends up celebrating Christmas. Just as I felt that everyone(including my family) celebrated diwali in India. Ofcourse there is participation from other canadians/indians in the festivals of the minorities but its still not the same. I was wondering if any others felt the same way.
About Holi(one of my favourite festivals) though, in places like Mumbai, the whole citiy is awash in holi colors. Everyperson who steps outside is a likely target for revellers. Its obviously not the same in Canada. The feeling that EVERYONE is pretty much on the same cultural wavelength at the time of festival celebration.
Heres my angle:
Ofcourse, a whole lot depends on the individual and his ability/inclination to seek out and stay in touch with his culture/community. However, for those steeped in the Hindu Culture, I assume there is a reasonable amount of adaptation that has to take place when relocated to North America.
OR
Am I wrong? Is there NO sense of cultural alienation at all? How deep or superficial are these feeling of cultural shifts. Its probably different for each individual and the individiual feelings/stories is what I am looking for. Please pm/email me anonymously if you feel more comfortable with that.
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Jake,
Regarding celebrating Christmas, our celebration is limited to attending Christmas party from work, attending kid's Christmas party from work, having some photos with Santa in the malls, and exchanging gifts with neighbour.
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A Proud Indian Canadian
