On October 22nd, the world celebrated the 200th Anniversary of the Birth of Baha'u'llah, Founder of the Baha'i Faith. Thousands of events, commemorations and celebrations took place around the world, many of which can be seen here. It was so unique to see how each town, city and region across the world applied their culture and traditions to this universal celebration and how they included all walks of life.

In East Vancouver where I live, I took part in 4 unique celebrations in my neighbourhood 'Commercial Drive', each taking on their own identity which widely depend on who was organizing and attending the celebration. My most memorable experience was organising a Unity Feast at the Aboriginal Friendship Centre, which focused primarily on indigenous friends and connections in the area. In their large gymnasium we hosted over 250 Elders, Chiefs, Families, Youth and Children. The program honoured the Coast Salish nations on whose land our celebration took place: Squamish, Tsleil-Waututh and Musqueam. The program included singing, dancing and drumming from various nations, youth, and junior youth sharing the impact of Bahá’u’lláh's revelation on their communities. Elders and chiefs shared how they learnt about Bahá’u’lláh, how they were inspired by His teachings, and the influence of the Faith on the lives of their people. A dignitary from the Musqueam Nation welcomed everyone with a prayer in his native language and followed by saying “I prayed that you would all recognize the truth in Baha’u’llah’s words,” he told the audience afterwards.

Here are some photos from the Celebration at the Aboriginal Centre of which I was a part of:

Photos taken by Galen Hamber