"This Christmas, our wish is for our daughter to grow up with equal respect and love for individuals of diverse religions, races, and nationalities"

For Ankur Ahmed, a Bangladeshi- Australian, celebrating Eid with family used to be the highlight of the year. However, since her marriage to Canadian Adam Clarke, Christmas has become a new and cherished addition to their festive calendar. The Ankur-Adam family shares that their happiness has multiplied with the growing number of festivals they now celebrate. In the company of their four-year-old daughter Ahona, the family is gearing up for Christmas. Join us as we discover how they plan to celebrate this joyful season.

Christmas celebration with family. Source: Supplied / Ankur Ahmed

The festive season is in full swing at the Ankur-Adam household in Brisbane, as twinkling lights and colourful decorations transform it into a Christmas wonderland every year.

This cosy family consists of Ankur Ahmed, originally from Bangladesh, and her Canadian husband, Adam Clarke. The newest addition to their joyous celebrations is their four-year-old daughter, Ahona.

SBS Bangla caught up with this young family to delve into the details of their festive traditions.

Ankur, Adam, and Ahona, celebrating Christmas together. Source: Supplied / Ankur Ahmed

Ankur Ahmed shared that since her arrival in Australia, she has embraced the Christmas spirit and made it a cherished part of her yearly celebrations.

"After marrying Adam a few years ago, Christmas has become just as important to me as Eid," she remarked.

Adam highlighted that while Canada and Australia have slightly different climates, the essence of the festivals remains quite similar.

He noted that the distinctiveness often lies in the festive menu, influenced by the contrast between cold and hot weather. Nevertheless, the heart-warming tradition of spending Christmas Day as a family knows no boundaries.

Celebrating Christmas together. Source: Supplied / Ankur Ahmed

Adam expressed his joy in seeing their daughter, Ahona, growing up delighting in the festivities of both Eid and Christmas.

Ankur echoed the sentiment, stating,

I've always wanted Ahona to experience the way Adam celebrated Christmas in his childhood.

Ankur Ahmed

Their hope for Ahona is to cultivate an upbringing that embraces equality, respect, and love for people of all religions, nationalities, and colours. They envision Ahona embracing everyone's joy as her own without hesitation.

As the twinkling lights illuminate their home, the Ankur-Adam family radiates the true spirit of the festive season—celebrating love, togetherness, and the beauty of cultural diversity.

Click the audio player link above to listen to the full interview in Bangla.

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