عيد الفطر‎

I haven’t blogged in quite a while as I either haven’t been inspired or when I am I never seem to have time to get to the computer.  I felt the need to blog today but wasn’t sure what to write.  It’s Sunday, Father’s day in western culture. My father has passed away and my husband’s children are miles away so there was nothing planned. 

The mother of the Syrian refugee family I sponsored has recently achieved two milestones. She got her driver’s license and she graduated from an English as a Second Language program from Camosun College.  I wanted to give her a card and a little something to acknowledge her success and arranged to meet her and her family at a park today.

The weather was quite warm and sunny here so I decided to ride my bicycle.  As is typical in Victoria, I was able to ride mostly off road and for part of the way along the Gorge – a scenic inland part of the ocean.  It was only a half hour, mostly pleasant ride although I always forget how many hills there are here.

When I arrived at the park there were hundreds of people who resembled the family – lots of men and boys with dark hair and women in hijabs, some a dark solid colour and some, like my friend, covered in bright flowers. As I locked up my bike I realized it was EID, an important religious holiday celebrated by Muslims worldwide that marks the end of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting. Yesterday they gathered at the only Mosque in Victoria and today they party!

I was worried I would never find my friends but quickly spotted one of her sons, then her husband who pointed me in the direction of the women who were sitting in groups in the shade.  Gaggles of teenage girls hung together, boys and men were playing soccer and badminton, some men were sitting in groups, children were lined up for candy floss or for the bouncy castle!  

This family - mother, father and three children ages 5, 7 and 10 and the father’s mother and sister arrived in Victoria 2 years ago. Since then the family has become fluent in English. The father has a full-time job at a fishery and the mother works part-time at a grocery store.  The grandmother has not learned much English and although she was employed in a factory for a period of time that is no longer. The sister was betrothed to the son of friends of the family in Victoria and was married shortly after their arrival. She and her husband and young son now live in Cranbrook, BC.

I was offered a seat, a beverage and some delicious roasted nuts and corn. I was introduced to the grandfather for the first time. He arrived from a refugee camp 5 months ago and is receiving medical care. He speaks no English except “Thank you” which he repeated several times to me. I also met lots of the family’s friends who, in many cases are also Syrian refugees. Happily, I heard of other Syrian refugees still coming to Canada.

When I said I needed to get on my way I was told that I couldn’t go, I needed to eat first and was promptly brought a plate of food made by the mother - Fatouche salad, pickled beets and a barley, rice, lentils dish and for dessert a plate of 6 kinds of cookies, some like shortbread. Well it is like Christmas! 

The Syrian people I know are friendly, generous, kind and like to have fun and get together in community.  It was a wonderful celebration and I feel grateful to have been part of it.