Holidays in India

I bet majority of the people in the world is unaware that Christmas is also observed in the lands of India. True, Hinduism is the prevailing religion in India, but Christmas holidays are also attended by non-Hindus and the government is in no way interfering in celebrating this event. In fact, even non-Christians are entitled to enjoy this rest day. Here, instead of decorating pine trees, Christians decorate banana or mango trees. Some even dress their homes mango fronds. In some cities, people put lamps that are made of clay on roof edges and sometimes on wall tops, too.

The worship places are glittering with lighted candles and poinsettias on the eve of the holiday. The most prominent holiday locations in the country is the city of Goa and during this time the city is flocked not only by Indian-Christians and tourists. Here, exotic festivities are held while the establishments in Goa, including luxury hotels, also participate in the said holiday. They prepare elegant decors and Christmas trees arranged with toys, tinsels, stars, and fruits. The atmosphere here is quite different from that of western celebration. But we can only imagine just how noisy and fun Christmas is because of India's musical performances and entertainment programs held on the evening of the holiday.

India is six days ahead of all the other countries in celebrating Children's Day. The reason behind the re-setting of the widely accepted date of festivity is based on Pandit Nehru's passion for the children of India. Nehru's date of birth is November 14th. Later, his birthday was declared as a day of frolic and fun commemoration of childhood.

Unlike in the Canadian Children's festival, not all Indian children participate in the celebration. The out of school children are not given the opportunity to join the event since the festivity is usually held in schools. Students organize, administer, and participate in the program. They even have musical and dance performances while several institutions – social, corporate, and cultural – conduct contests such as quizzes, elocutions, and dress competitions wherein all the children are allowed to join. On the other hand, teachers prepare dance and song performances for the students. Lastly, the celebrants are made to watch movies while television stations air children's programs on the said date.

If the event is held to celebrate the rights and existence of our little ones, then I think that it's only empirical that we give children the care and support that they need and rightfully deserve. As we all know, not all parts of India supports children's welfare because of poverty and disoriented society.

Onam is commemorated in Kerala. Also known as harvest festivity, it's described as an event filled with enthusiasm and a showcase of the rich Kerala heritage. Like other Indian Holidays, Onam is associated with a deity. According to the legend, a Hindu god challenged the character of Mahabali, Kerala's king. Although he's a demon monarch, he was kind to his people. For that reason, the Hindu god gave him a boon. Since then, Kerala is obliged to celebrate this legend through harvest festival.

Onam is celebrated during the eighth month of the year and lasts for ten days. The opening of the feast is called Atham while the closing date is Thiruonam. For ten consecutive days, the people show off their cultural bequest. There are elaborate dances, musical performances, sports competition, elephant races, and boats.

Onam is colorful and vibrant. Party goers will definitely find Kerala a very suitable tourist destination. Onasadya is the most awaited part of the feast. Here, people eat together, seated on mats, and use banana leaves as plates. But unlike the British harvest festival where people prepare lots of bread, the people of Kerala make flower mats made of fresh blooms and cook special dishes.

Right after the celebration of Pongal (New Year), we have yet another occasion to celebrate. But this time, we are going to the deserts, to Jaisalmer to be precise, to join the Desert Festivities. It is high time that we party on the desert sands and dance to the music of India. This annual event is held on many Indian deserts simultaneously in January until February.

Jaisalmer participates on the celebration on February 21 to 23. Included in the program are performances Jaisalmer dancers and musicians, turban competitions, camel rides, and contests for the longest moustache. Also during the almost week-long event, both Indian locals and tourists have the chance to participate in the fair. The said event includes sale of handicrafts and other native products. All in all, the desert festivities is a celebration of culture.

The city on which the festival is held is said to be a sanctified place. It is associated with Krishna who prophesized that a member of the family Yadav will build a kingdom on top of the hill Trikuta, the same place where Jaisalmer is established. I only wonder if the city experiences annual sand storm.

Ganesha is one of the most recognized gods in the Hindu religion. During 4th day of waxing moon periods on the Hindu month of Bhadrapada people celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi or Ganesh Ustav - the birthday anniversary of Lord Ganesha. The Ganesh Chaturthi is one of the biggest festivals in India, especially the Maharashtra and the other areas that were once part of the Maratha Empire. In the Gregorian Calendar, this festival falls between the 20th of August and the 15th of September and last until Ananta Chaturdashi.

During the big festival, modaks or modagam is served. It is a sweet dumpling made of rice flour and stuffed with coconut and other condiments. A clay model of Lord Ganesha is prepared 2 to 3 months before the festival begins; the size may differ from less than an inch to over 20 feet tall.

When the holiday comes, it will be placed on top of the homes or in a specially designed tent outside for people to pay their respect to the god. In some areas, the idol of Lord Ganesh will be worshipped for 1 day while in Maharashtra and Goa, the worship sometimes last until the end of said festival. After 10 days or worshipping, the idol is taken to the streets in a procession and will be immersed in the river or the sea. It is a symbolism of Ganesh's journey to Kailash while taking the misfortunes of men with him.

Pongal is actually the first holiday or festival that Indians celebrate every New Year at Tamil Nadu. This holiday falls on January 13 through 16. Some people celebrate Pongal lavishly. There are those who celebrate only on the 2nd day of this four-day event.

During the evening of the first Pongal day, families should burn anything that are unwanted. The 1st day is referred as the Bhogi. Also, the household should be cleaned very well. The next day is referred as Surya Pongal. This is the day where all the fun begins. Women are required to wake up early and create Kolums -- decorations placed outside of the house using rice flour that is colored. Placing rice flour on the floor should be done carefully. Thus, this process takes several hours.

Also, everyone should clothe themselves in new attires. Even the old utensils should be released. Rice should also be cooked and taken out of the pots until the women see that the rice is overflowing. The rice is then flavored with jaggery and dhal. Spices may also be used for the Pongal rice. The 3rd day is Maatu Pongal. This day is reserved for paying respect to cattles. Some bulls or cattles are even painted. Afterwards, an offering of rice (pongal) is given to the cattle. Lastly, Kaanum Pongal is the 4th day. Visiting other people is what is done during this day. Youngsters should pay respect to their elders. In turn, the elders will give the youngsters some token money. There are also some families who visit and pray at temples. I would like to share that I truly had a wonderful and colorful Pongal experience this year.

Diwali, which can also be called as the very beautiful "festival of lights", is a five-day Indian celebration that starts during the day 15 of the event called Kartika. During this time, the people of this country clean and fix their houses and open all their windows so that the wealth goddess, Lakshmi, will grace their houses. The people light candles to welcome in their homes, and that was the reason why it became known as a festival full of lights.

During this celebration, the people also make it a point to give each other sweets and gifts. They even prepare a heavy feast so that they can eat delicious foods merrily and to their hearts content. While having this feast, they always make sure that they pay tribute to the goddess for all the blessings they received from her.

In India, its people from all over the nation have their own ways of celebrating this event. Some people start the day by praying to Lakshimi. The next day is reserved for worshipping Kali, the strength goddess. The lighting of lamps or candles happen on day three, and this act symbolizes knowledge. For the 4th day, a ceremony is held in order to worship new books. During the celebration's last day, they do not worship Hindu gods or goddesses but an ancient king of India named Bali.

The Dussehra is one of the most popular festivals in India that symbolized the triumph of good versus evil. Every regions celebrates this 10-day festival differently but generally, people would decorate the entrances of their houses with Torans.

The festival is also celebrated as the return of Rama from exile. People inaugurate their possesions, vehicles, books, weapons, household tools et cetera, askin the gods to bless the items. Images of the Goddess Durga is worshipped for four days, and is taken out in a procession during the last day where it will be immersed in a river or the sea.

India is one of the most socially and religiously diverse countries in Asia, enjoying the distinction of being one of the cradles of civilization in the ancient world. A vast majority of Indians practice Hinduism and Buddhism, two of the oldest world religions that started in the subcontinent more than three thousand years ago. The religious minority is composed of Muslims (concentrated in the northern region, near the Pakistani border) and Christians. The most celebrated Indian religious holiday is the Diwali, aptly called the "Festival of Lights," and is celebrated by the lighting of oil lamps to recount the exploits of the Hindi god Rama.

The most prominent Muslim holiday is Id-Ul-Fitr, the commemoration of the holy month of fasting known in the Islamic world as Ramadan. Id-ul-Zuha is celebrated to memorialize the sacrifice of Abraham, the patriarch of the three greatest monotheistic religions. The Christian minority observes two of the biggest religious holidays in their calendar with the rest of Christendom, Christmas, the anniversary of the birth of Jesus the Christ, and Easter or the solemnity of Jesus' resurrection from death. Two of the most widely observed public holidays in India are the Republic Day on January 26 and the anniversary of the formation of the Indian state is on August 15. On this day, the nation remembers the memory of one of its greatest leaders, Mahatma Ghandi.