The holidays are upon us, and I have been reflecting on the importance that cultural connections play for survivors and their sense of community this time of year.

I have also been feeling a deep sense of gratitude for the staff at WAVAW, and their commitment to supporting survivors and ending sexualized violence. At WAVAW, we often say that “we are the people that we serve.” By this, we mean that that staff that work here are representative of the survivors that we work with. Like the survivors of sexualized violence that we serve, our staff vary in age, background, lived experience, economic upbringing, and cultural practices. Many are survivors of sexualized violence themselves, and all of us experience marginalization because of our gender.

To honour both the healing power of cultural connections, and the wisdom of our staff team, I asked the WAVAW staff how they connect to their loved ones through culture, either over the holiday season or in their life year-round. 

This is what our staff had to share:

• “My friends and I have a tradition of creating affirmation advent calendars for each other. The holidays can be stressful for everyone, and trans people in particular often have lots to navigate with our families of origin, so it’s really powerful to have a love note to read every day. Even when we can’t be in the same city for the holidays, it makes us feel closer.” – Felix, Community Inclusion and Engagement Coordinator
• “When we first immigrated to Canada, my family and I viewed all the typically Canadian Christmas traditions as a novelty, and it was really exciting to be able to make a roast turkey, buy a real tree, and to go sledding on Cypress Mountain. I still remember my first Christmas in Canada, where I saw snow for the first time. I remember wanting to build a snowman, just like what I had learned from watching Western cartoons and movies. I made a snowman with the typical carrot nose and used my dad’s scarf because that’s what I saw in the movies.
  Eventually, my family and I realized that none of us really enjoy eating turkey, nor did we understand why cranberry sauce was poured on everything. So, instead, for Christmas dinner, we enjoy chicken curry and roti, alongside Yorkshire pudding and gravy, and our dinners together reflect all of the places we have lived and the cultures we have immersed ourselves in. Throughout my life, holiday dinners involve inviting family friends over, because as immigrants friends become your family in a new country. Our traditions now focus on time spent together rather than any particular ways of celebrating the holidays.” – Sanda, Sexual Assault Counsellor
• My mother is from the Dominican Republic, and every Christmas, after dinner, we play loud salsa or merengue, which was created in the Dominican Republic. We move the coffee table and create a dance floor in the living room. My mom, brothers, sisters, and myself, all dance together in the living room for hours. It helps us to stay connected to the culture back home and helps my mom to feel connected to her home as well – Karen, Hospital Support Worker.
• My father immigrated from Switzerland when he was 20, and on every Christmas Eve as part of my Swiss culture, my family eats raclette together. Raclette originated from Swiss shepherds needing to bring food up to the Alps that was cheap and would keep for a long time, so they brought cheese and potatoes. They would roast the potatoes in the fire, and place a big piece of cheese nearby. When the cheese started melting, it was taken away and scraped onto the baked potatoes. Now we eat it with the help of a grill that sits on our tabletop, and it is a special familial tradition that brings us together during times of celebration. We love it because it is a slow and interactive meal that can often last hours, which creates lots of space for conversation, laughter, and wine. It is also one of the few Swiss customs that we practice as a family, and I know it makes my dad feel proud and connected to heritage. I have also shared it with people I care about, and watching the excitement on someone’s face as they pour gooey cheese over a pile of potatoes always fills my heart with joy. – Natti, Fund Development Coordinator
• “I love sharing about my father’s dad, who carried a traditional name, “Pom-pom” and his English name was Johnny John. Growing up, I can visualize and remember the moments I shared with him walking the three outside beaches on Flores Island, more known as Ahousaht Nation now, or sitting on the bottom floor of the “chaa-putts” (canoe), placing my finger in the rings that I used to see as he paddled in the bay of our community. Grandpa Pom-pom taught all his sons how to carve out canoes so that they could provide for their families. When my father let me know how old he was when he built his first chaa-putts; the challenges he faced when finding the best tree, and shaping that tree into a canoe; I listened so attentively, the story had my hand at my heart.
  Grandpa Pom-pom spoke our mother tongue, sang in our language, and shared oral history with us as we grew up. His knowledge and his wisdom are what I am so thankful for when it comes to providing for family. So my cultural connection is to share with you just how important and valuable our Elders are, and our ancestors. I feel truly blessed to come from the “Kaa-kaa-wiin” clan (Killer Whale).”  Beverly, Indigenous Outreach Worker
• “In our family, we celebrate both Christmas and Chanukah and this year, they overlap. This is also our child’s 1^st Chanukah and 2^nd Christmas. This gives us the chance to teach our traditions and be intentional in our actions so that we pass them on in a meaningful way. On Dec 21, we will start lighting the Chanukah candles every night for eight nights. We have a velcro one for the little one to light. We will sing the prayers and spin the dreidle. This year he has a plush one, which he’ll probably chew on more than spin, but in time he will learn the game. We will spend Christmas eve and day with my partner’s family where they will spend most of the time in the kitchen preparing food. When there is a break, I will jump in and make latkes (potato pancakes) for Chanukah. There will be a new stocking hung and probably earlier dinner time. But we will be together to sing the Chanukah prayers and eat the Christmas turkey.” Rebecca, Sexual Assault Counsellor

On behalf of the staff, board, and volunteers at WAVAW Rape Crisis Centre, we wish you a beautiful holiday season, full of many points of cultural connection with you and your loved ones.

Sincerely,

Dalya Israel,
Executive Director
WAVAW Rape Crisis Centre