In the spirit of spreading light, the WCH Corporate Equity Committee invites you to join us in A Festival of Lights: A Celebration of Five End of Year Faith Traditions.
As part of our mandate to create and maintain authentic, sustainable, and inclusive spaces, A Festival of Lights is intentional about celebrating the cultural traditions of a diversity of identities represented at WCH.
The festival will showcase end-of-year traditions, in a way that offers opportunities to learn from and engage with our colleagues, hopefully bringing us all to the recognition that we are far more alike than we are different.
Over the two months of celebration, we will learn more about these festivals, each of which centers light, their cultural significance and enjoy a few of the traditions associated with them:
| Diwali – November 12, 2023 Hannukah – December 07 – 15, 2023 Winter Solstice – December 21, 2023 Christmas – December 25, 2023 – January 06, 2024 Kwanzaa – December 26, 2023 – January 01, 2024 |
The festival begins with the commemoration of Diwali on November 09, 2023.
Observed by more than a billion people, Diwali or Deepavali is celebrated over five days across faiths, including Hindus in Southeast Asia, Jains, Sikhs and Newar Buddhists in Nepal. While each religion has its own historical narrative behind the celebration, and traditions and customs may vary, Diwali’s central message is the triumph of light over darkness, good over evil and knowledge over ignorance.
Join us November 9, 2023 from 12 – 2 p.m. for:
- Traditional Diwali Sweets
- Diwali Fashion – Come try on authentic Saris, professionally wrapped!
- Fun Diwali activities
- Light pledges
- A chance to win our Book raffle prize
Also look out for our Connect Article on the Meaning of Diwali, featuring learning resources, and news on other festival events.
For more information, please reach out to the Office of Equity at equity@wchospital.ca.