Dear readers, I hope you are all doing well and enjoying the fall season. Since work is really busy, there is no delay in this post. This year I moved to a different educational environment, so it was a learning and growing experience. As many of you know, if not most of you, I am from India and came here after marriage. Raising my children in this country, I have always tried to maintain the culture of my hometown and tried to remind them of important holidays. Today’s post is about the festival season for Indians at this time of year. So keep reading!
background
India is a country in South Asia known for its cultural heritage and traditions. India has a rich cultural heritage. Some rituals and traditions are believed to be over 4000 years old! According to Live Science, India’s culture is one of the oldest in the world: India’s civilization started around 4,500 years ago! According to the World Health Organization (WHO), India has 28 states and 7 territories. I can’t go into detail about everything India has to offer in terms of culture, traditions and beliefs.But if you are interested, you can check out this site know the government of india to know more information.
India celebrates many festivals, but to list a few that are celebrated with great pomp and performance include Rakshabandhan, Karvachauth, Navratri, Diwali and Holi. All of these festivals bring excitement, love, affection and peace to people’s lives and entire families. Rakshasa Bandan Shows the special love between brother and sister, kawahout Shows the special bond between husband and wife, Navratri symbolizes the battle and victory of good over evil, and Diwali Festival of Lights and holi The festivals of color symbolize the victory of good over evil.
introduce
This time of year is as special to Hindus in India as Christmas is to Christians. Hindus believe in many gods and the birthdays of Lord Shiva and Lord Krishna are celebrated as Shiv Ratri and Janmashtami in February and August respectively. Also, the 9 forms of Goddess Durga are celebrated as Navratri for 9 days, which may fall in October or November, depending on the Hindu calendar. Day 10 celebrates Dusshera, an auspicious moment for Rama’s victory over Ravana. It symbolizes the defeat of evil and the triumph of good. About 20 days later, this is one of the biggest festivals of Diwali. Diwali, also known as Deepavali, celebrates the joyous return of the beloved Prince of Ayodhya, Lord Rama, after 13 years of exile. This festival of lights is celebrated around the world and is recognized internationally by many workplaces, including companies and organizations.
Between Dusshera and Diwali is Karvachauth. Married women in North India celebrate Carvachos. It is famous for newlyweds and even unmarried women celebrate it with love and affection. When a woman seeks God’s blessing for her husband’s longevity, it is believed to bring prosperity, longevity, and happiness to the family. My little one and I do henna on our hands and palms every year, and so does my older one at home. This year Karvachauth is celebrated on October 12-13, Dussehra on October 5 and Diwali on Monday, October 24. Navratri is a biannual nine-night celebration – once in the spring and once in the fall. This year’s Navratri celebrations take place from September 26th to October 5th. This festival is dedicated to Goddess Durga in nine forms.In addition to 9 days of prayer, the children look forward to dandia or garbaBoth dances originated from Gujarat, India, but now has a great reputation all over India and around the world. Prayer for nine full days and special food was prepared. Some people fast for 9 days and eat special foods and fruits.
holiday season
Starting this September, now and ending in October, from September 26th to October 24th, this month has special occasions, religious beliefs, and many celebrations, rejoicing, and remembering what all Indians try to remember Traditional and cultural grounds. For our family, the 9-day Navratri celebration includes fasting and Kanjak puja on the 8th day. On Day 10 of Dusshera, watching Lord Rama’s story in Ram Leela’s theatrical form is always the highlight. Last weekend we attended the Dusshera Market on October 15th and enjoyed the parade and fireworks. Houston has a large Indian community, which fortunately allows our kids to get a first-hand experience of watching and learning by participating in weekend activities like this. We attended the Dandiya dance on October 7th and another dance on November 11th. Weekends during this holiday season are busy and full of events and festivities.
For Diwali, my kids and I made rangoli, a traditional Indian art form that uses colored sand or powder to decorate your home’s floor or outside. Also, to greet the goddess of wealth, Lakshmi, we use rice noodles for her feet. You can now buy ready-made feet from Amazon and Etsy.
The 5 days of Diwali started yesterday and people buy Dhan Teras for gold or jewelry. This is the birthday of Dhanvantri, the father of medicine and Ayurveda. Today is Chhoti Diwali, also known as Roop Chaudas. Diwali is tomorrow, followed by Govardhan Puja on Tuesday and Bhai Dooj on Wednesday. This year’s festival season will begin on September 26 with the first day of Navratri, also known as Durga Puja, and end with Bhai Dooj on October 26.
wrap up
All in all, I love this time of year. It’s a little busy cooking, decorating and doing some rituals for each holiday, but I love the feeling and joy that each day brings. For my kids especially, I believe this is a great way for them to see and stick to some traditions that they want to continue in the future.
Dear readers, we would love to hear from you. Do you celebrate any traditions or holidays in a culture that you cherish and enjoy? Please share your own or your favorite person from another culture or family.
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