Festival of Vaisakhi

I’m still learning about the spring harvest festival of Vaisakhi (observed by both Hindus and Sikhs, in different ways).

For Hindus, it’s marked by a festival at the start of the solar new year and the start of spring. I don’t have any kid-friendly resources on that – so if you do, please share in the comments!

For Sikhs, it’s a religious historical event centered in resistance against tyranny and forced assimilation. We’ll focus on Sikhism this year because that’s what I’ve got!

When is it?

• On the first day of the month of Vaisakha, the Hindu & Sikh solar new year.
• Falls on 13th or 14th of April on the Gregorian calendar.

Read:

• Let’s Celebrate Vaisakhi!
  I’ll be honest this is not a great book. It’s fine for teaching kids about Vaisakhi in a classroom, but there’s no story or depth on why Sikhs celebrate the holiday.
• The Garden of Peace
  This is not about Vaisakhi, but more about the principles of inclusion and defiance against authoritarianism central to Sikhism. It’s also gorgeous and written by my friend Navjot, an #OwnVoices Sikh indie publisher. (She gave me this copy for free).

Discuss:

• “They tried to bury us, but they didn’t know we were seeds.” (Dino C. (1931-2020) wasn’t Sikh or Hindu, but this quote comes to mind. )

Parenting is Praxis: Learning about Sikh Social Justice

1. Adults: Check out the maker spotlight on Navjot Kaur on responsible representation of the Sikh identity in kidlit.
2. Check out the guide, 8 ways to include Vaisakhi in the classroom.