Surrey’s Mother Language Festival celebrates culture and heritage

Surrey’s Holland Park hosted the 12th annual Mother Language Festival on Aug. 9, bringing together community members from across the Lower Mainland for an afternoon of cultural performances, music, dance, art, literature, traditional food and activities.

The event was organized by the Mother Language Lovers of the World Society and ran from 3:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Inspired by International Mother Language Day, the annual festival promotes linguistic diversity, cultural understanding and the preservation of mother languages.

MLLWS administrator Mohammad Islam said the gathering gave people from diverse cultural backgrounds a chance to share their traditions and heritage. He said language is closely tied to personal identity, cultural preservation and intergenerational connections.

Organizers also used the event to draw attention to endangered languages, including Indigenous mother tongues and minority dialects. They say the festival creates a space for people of all ages and backgrounds to learn about one another’s traditions. More information is available at motherlanguagelovers.com.