Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by quietude on August 2, 2009 at 8:19pm

I think you make an interesting observation -- that this is only in the first generation of immigrants.

Permalink Reply by Trance Gemini on August 5, 2009 at 6:34pm

If my relatives are any example. Yes.

I believe that multi-culturalism has a great deal to do with this since it wasn't the case before multicultural policies were adopted.

Indians in Canada are far more traditional than the relatives I've met who live in India.

It's actually kind of weird when your relatives from India are more westernized than your relatives who grew up in Canada. Lol.

This only applies to those who settled here in the 1970s and on.

Previous to that the philosophy in the Indian community in Canada was to integrate and all of my relatives who came previous to the 1970s did.

Permalink Reply by Jag on August 8, 2009 at 1:42am

Wow, u have stumbled onto the reason I never go to India, indian parties in Canada, any of my parents' friends' places, temples, blahblah...Interestingly, you are right, people in the West, cling to their religion more after leaving because they havent been properly integrated and to quite an extent, assimilated. While the word sounds bad, its actually really important for Indians to remember why they left their sweet homeland and went West. It must be because their is more freedom to be better educated in a non-religious fashion!! I cant enjoy any festival that is indian because it is ALWAYS tied to a religion ...and that pisses me off and bores me to tears. So I never go :)

Permalink Reply by Ajita Kamal on August 9, 2009 at 9:04pm

We could try to secularize the festivals. To a large extent the myths already sound like fairy tales. I think that someday these could be celebrated as such. Other festivals already have a basis in natural events, like the various harvest festivals and the various seasonal festivals. I know that in the West there is an active move in this direction towards secularizing religious ceremonies. Of course, we should start our own non-religious festivals and events. I think it will happen, eventually.

Permalink Reply by Jag on August 13, 2009 at 2:33am

you know what, I like festivals about food!! that always comes with music, an entrance and an exit, tickets, drinks, some grass, some games for the kids, and dessert. There are plenty of those in Toronto, so I check em out. Never the santa claus parade or any of that.

Permalink Reply by quietude on August 13, 2009 at 8:56am

Ajita, the topic of secular celebrations has already been introduced (by me) in the discussion on "How to be an Atheist Indian". It got some interesting replies although there is much more to be explored. Here it is being introduced as if it is a new topic for this group, but in fact it is not.

Permalink Reply by Ajita Kamal on August 15, 2009 at 3:42pm

I didn't say it is a new idea that I came up with. It was meant as a response to Jag who said "I cant enjoy any festival that is indian because it is ALWAYS tied to a religion". Sorry if I didn't give credit to your thesis.

Permalink Reply by quietude on August 23, 2009 at 8:17am

Becoming atheist did not make me any more generous or sweet-natured. Apology accepted.

Permalink Reply by Ajita Kamal on August 23, 2009 at 4:00pm

No, I think being pedantic is a more intrinsic trait and not related to beliefs about god. So is sarcasm.