It’s Canadian Thankgiving Week!
It’s Canadian Thanksgiving today!
Do you celebrate this time of year with your family?
An American tradition that Canadians have adopted as cultural practice in the west brings us to a weekend of food, festivity, and family as well as a national holiday.
What are you thankful for in life today?
We caught up with Beyond Badr Creator Kelvin Ali to ask what this time of year means,
“Well, for me it is a mixed bag of emotions. I grew up with a belief in the Christian faith and we would do all of the thematic western cultural practices as well as our own Caribbean cultural events. Our school curriculums were also based around these seasonal and huge marketing activities. My parents like many immigrants adopted this practice because everyone else was doing it in the community and consumption of very limited television and radio also influenced our behaviours as a family in Canada.
When I reverted to Islam, I stopped engaging in several of the cultural activities I practiced in youth as my knowledge and wisdom grew in Islamic Etiquettes and manners. I learned over time how to apply logic and wisdom to attend various events catered around conflicting religious views and because of my life before Islam, interfaith dialogue was easier for me to communicate to others.
As the first of a generation born in the west, I believe that growing up in Canada or another land does not mean that you can not celebrate what is culturally relevant to the community, but obviously, there are certain limitations that must be adhered to depending on how you want to live. I am of the opinion that if it is the normal practice to observe a particular day, do it with an intention of goodness. If it is the only convenient time the family can gather and if you can get a Halal Turkey in your community then why not indulge, it isn’t Haram to eat it.
It’s how you apply personal wisdom around the celebration. I don’t think anyone in the west sits around and celebrates the pilgrims landing on Plymouth rock, maybe some do in that part of the world with a parade or something, but what they are actually celebrating is a sense of communal appreciation to their town.
Thanksgiving is a moment for all people and maybe those who are not of a regular faith assembly to reflect on the things that they are thankful for. The choice to celebrate any occasion or event is up to the household so being grateful should really be a daily practice for us all.
In all reality, this Monday is an extra day off to relax from our busy lives and schedule a family gathering, lunch, and dinner experience, so while I don’t personally celebrate this holiday, I will have a Halal Turkey at some other time of the year. Even if it is just for a few hours, it is always a good thing to maintain ties of kinship, and if this is an opportunity for you to do so, then you’ll also be rewarded greatly for your intention and that is the key, what’s your intention today? Having a good one on any day of the week is always an excellent thing!”
What are you thankful for this time of year? We’re always looking forward to hearing about your wonderful and shared family experiences from all over the planet, so why not join our Clan and receive some awesome and free digital gifts as our Thank You for checking us out!
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Your friends,
The Beyond Badr Dev Team!