Tamil Heritage Month

January is Tamil Heritage Month. Heritage Months are times to learn more about specific cultures and an opportunity to celebrate their histories. 

The Tamil people are an ethno-linguistic group originally from South Asia. (Ethno-linguistic means they are connected by ethnicity and language). The Tamil language is one of the oldest languages in the world still spoken to this day.

Thai Pongal

The Tamil calendar is a sidereal solar calendar. Each month of the Tamil calendar has a unique name. In January, many Tamil people will celebrate the beginning of the month called Thai, which usually falls between the 15th and 18th of January. This celebration is known as Thai Pongal or Festival of the Tamils and usually lasts 3 or 4 days. Thai Pongal is a harvest festival and one of the ways it is celebrated is by cooking "Pongal" a dish of sweet rice. 

You can read more about Thai Pongal at the links below:

Canadian Tamil Kids Talk About Tamil People in Canada

Statement by Minister Hussen on Tamil Heritage Month

"Canada is the proud home of one of the largest Tamil diasporas in the world, and Canadians of Tamil heritage have been instrumental in making it the country it is today. Whether it’s in the world of business, politics, the arts, or other fields, Tamil communities continue to play a vital and inspiring role in our society.

Over the course of this month, members of the Tamil community will come together to celebrate the many great contributions that they have made and continue to make, and it serves as an opportunity for everyone to acknowledge and honour their tremendous achievements."

From Canada Heritage