TAMIL HERITAGE MONTH ACTIVITIES BEGIN IN CANADA

Tamil Canadians have come together to declare January as the Tamil Heritage Month. The month of January was chosen as the Tamil Heritage Month for a number of reasons. The Pongal festival, the most important and widely-celebrated festival amongst Tamils around the world, falls in the middle of the month. Pongal is both a time of thanksgiving for the blessings of a past year and a time to look forward to the start of a new year. The first month of Tamil calendar, Thai, begins in the middle of January.

Tamils began arriving in Canada from at least as early as the 1960s. From a population of fewer than 2,000 in 1983, Tamil Canadians became the fast-growing community in Metropolitan Toronto. Canada's Tamil population is now estimated to be approximately around 300,000. Today's Tamil Canadian community is a flourishing one, boasting tens of thousands of entrepreneurs, professionals, and post-secondary students alongside active and engaged community organizations and a thriving arts and culture scene.

Tamil Heritage Month 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 of Tamils' history in Canada as well. In addition, this month will actively celebrate Tamil heritage and rejuvenate Tamil culture in Canada.

The objectives of the Tamil Heritage Month, in January 2012, are five-fold:

To celebrate the richness of the Tamil language and literature
To celebrate the traditions, arts and culture of Tamils around the world
To educate Canadians of all backgrounds about the language, traditions and history of the Tamils
To highlight the achievements of Tamils in various fields both in the past and the present
To advance the growth and prosperity of Tamils

Activities that are planned for the month so far include Poster Competition, Essay Competition, Final Cultural Event, Introductory Booklet on Tamils, Cultural Awareness Training Sessions, Youth Event and Gathering of Tamil Educators. During the month as part of the THM celebrations, many participating organizations and media outlets are organizing their own activities with their target population and members.

Many more organizations are joining the effort everyday. If your organization or you as an individual would like to contribute to the efforts of this month, please contact our team. This initiative is a collective effort where every Tamil Canadian and every Tamil Canadian Organization can play a role.