By Harrish Thirukumaran
In Canada, it is interesting to see that January not only marks the beginning of the new year, but it also commemorates Tamil Heritage Month. Started in 2010, it aims to celebrate the history of Canada’s Tamil community and its contribution to the social, cultural, political and economic strength of Canada. While recognizing our accomplishments and tracing our roots, Tamil Heritage Month will provide opportunities to celebrate Tamils’ history in Canada as well. In addition, this month will actively celebrate Tamil heritage and rejuvenate Tamil culture in Canada.
During the new year, a tradition associated with it is to set New Year’s Resolutions. According to the Cambridge dictionary, New Year’s Resolutions are a promise that you make to yourself to start doing something good or stop doing something bad on the first day of the year. As in the name, they are intended to resolve something in your life as you perceive it.
However, from my perspective, it can serve as the basis of renewal for another year, another chapter that lies ahead in your story. Also, given the backdrop of Tamil Heritage Month, this time of renewal can help me connect deeper with my own Tamil cultural roots.
Anthropologist Dimitris Xygalatas, in an essay for Sapiens, has said New Years are often treated by various human cultures as serious moments of renewal through different festivals that take place at different times. Rituals help drive that renewal as they mark seasonal changes. Moreover, rituals provide a sense of routine, helping practitioners cope with anxiety across these various cultures. By coming together to enact them collectively through symbols, participants experience a sense of community. Furthermore, they allow people to leave the past behind and be hopeful for the future.
I’ve previously written about the grief process as it relates to my parents, and it helps to heal the initial wounds that are felt very early on. It has not even been a year yet since my dad’s passing. While there is still much to process from last year, the message of renewal that accompanies a new year is highly important as I and many others learn to lead life in new ways. A part of this involves performing rituals. One of the duties for me in this light will be to commemorate my dad as we approach the year mark since his sudden passing in both the Hindu and Tamil traditions.
As mentioned, I seek to focus on renewal by prioritizing my own wellness as I continue to rebuild my life by looking back at the lives of my own parents and remaining hopeful. This simultaneously involves advancing Tamil culture, traditions and customs by honouring my father in such a manner that strengthens my connection to him. At the same time, I hope that this can also strengthen the Tamil community living throughout Canada as we mark Tamil Heritage Month.
Happy New Year and Happy Tamil Heritage Month!
