The Sikh community in Prince George is celebrating a tradition dating back centuries.
The Vaisakhi festival celebrates the founding of Sikhism and is a combination of both New Years and a way of thanking the gods for a fruitful harvest year.
The first parade took place in Prince George back in 1999, when Volunteer Manpreet Sidhu was seven-years old, since then she says people from different regions and religions come to take part in the event.
“We get lots of support from out of town. We get kids from Surrey, Edmonton and Calgary. It’s just exciting to see all the volunteers and everybody participating and getting support from outside the Sikh community as well.”
She added this is also an education experience for people who aren’t familiar with the Sikh religion, and provides more of an insight into what their culture is like.
“Part of this event is educating the community about what it means to be a Sikh and to invite them while spreading awareness about what our religion means and breaking the stigma.”
The Sikh community can be misunderstood, and spreading awareness about how the temple is always opened to the public for free food or shelter is one way of breaking through stigmas says Sidhu.
This was also a historical event in Prince George as it was the first time a Lheidli T’enneh elder attended and said a prayer at the event followed by a drumming ceremony.
#vaisakhi celebration is taking place in #CityofPG today. Vaisakhi is a historical and religious festival in Sikhism and Hinduism that celebrates both New Years and is a tribute to the gods for a fruitful harvest year pic.twitter.com/FrTDCPtO5n
— My Prince George Now (@mypgnow) May 19, 2018
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