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Unlike North American Christmas traditions, Greek Christmas traditions are rooted in religion, and it continues to be a heavily religious holiday today. Christougena, which translates to “time of Christ,” is the second most important religious holiday in Greece after Easter. The holiday is a month-long celebration and starts on Dec. 6 (St. Nicholas Day) and…
In light of a fast-growing multicultural community, the City Philosopher Cafes will explore culture – specifically if it is something someone is born into, or if it can be learned or borrowed. Magdalena Mot and Mayyahah Al-ani will moderate the event (Dec. 14). The monthly inclusive talks were created in partnership between Surrey Local Immigration…
Organized by the Canada Indonesia Diaspora Society (CIDS), the LANSIA Oral History Project grew from a community’s hope to preserve the stories of their elder generation. Launched in May 2016, the project aims to interview 25 Canadian-Indonesian elders who emigrated between the late 1950s to the early 1970s. The stories about their long journey from…
Together with many Japanese and Japanese-Canadian households and community groups, the Nikkei National Museum & Cultural Centre Auxiliary in Burnaby will hold an event near the start of the New Year: the annual tradition of Mochitsuki, or rice pounding, to make mochi or rice cakes from steamed sweet rice. Frank Kamiya, a semi-retired architect and…
Simon Fraser University (SFU) Lecture Series presents Waking the Feminists: 2016’s Irish Theatre Revolution on Dec. 1 at the SFU Harbour Centre campus. Guest speaker Emer O’Toole, professor of Irish Canadian Studies at the University of Concordia, will explore Ireland’s revolutionary history and the role of theatre in shaping its politics. Ireland’s national Abbey Theatre…
Funded by the largest community foundation in Canada, Vancouver Foundation, Fresh Voices works to improve the experience of immigrants, refugees and other newcomer groups in B.C. Vancouver Foundation, who has a focus in youth engagement, recognized that the need to engross youth from the immigrant and refugee community exists. “We thought that it was important…
Established in 2009, the Bosnian and Herzegovinian Cultural Center Canada Society (BHCCVC) is an organization dedicated to bringing the Bosnian community of the Lower Mainland and the rest of B.C. together. The Society’s purpose is to help keep their cultural traditions and practices alive while cultivating a sense of togetherness among its members and the…
Global citizens, according to the NGO Global Citizens Initiative, are those who identify beyond their own country’s physical and cultural borders with a more international community. Are we all global citizens? Should we be? The tough questions of how humanity should feel about itself at home and on an international scale will be tackled in…
This year SFU’s department of history’s annual lecture series will focus on Canada’s 150th birthday. As a part of the lecture series, historian and professor Bidisha Ray will be moderating a panel discussion on South Asian stereotypes titled Life isn’t all Bhangra and Butter Chicken! Deconstructing BC’s Punjabi-Canadian Culture. Guest speakers will include: Balbir Gurm,…
EMMA Talks, an accessible platform for people to speak openly. will be hosting their fifth talk since their launch in April 2015, which will take place at the SFU Woodwards building on Nov. 16. “It is similar to Ted Talks and Pecha Kucha, but EMMA Talks wants to showcase people in marginalized communities- it’s an…
he Sri Lankan Friendship Association (SLFA) has been supporting the Vancouver Sri Lankan community for over 30 years. With a focus on unity, the goal of the organization is to share and conserve the cultures, history and traditions of Sri Lanka. The 2011 census shows that Canada is home to 132,130 people of Sri Lankan…
Suicide rates in Canada, according to the Centre for Suicide Prevention, are significantly higher for aboriginals (males: 126; females: 35) than non-aboriginals (males: 24; females: five) who are between the ages of 15 to 24. Due to the sense of hopelessness in many communities and high suicide rates in Aboriginal communities, siblings Kelvin and Tunchai…
Groundswell is a cafe as well as a community and business program that helps entrepreneurs create their own small business or social venture. Founded in 2012, Groundswell has fostered several businesses in a variety of domains such as upcycling and reducing food waste. Gilad Babchuk, Groundswell co-founder, started his first social venture when he was…
