Festivals and Holidays of India :: essays research papers fc

There are many holidays and feasts inIndia. In my report I willing explain what the holidays of Holi,Diwali, Dussera, and Basanto commemorate. I will givedetails about their dates and customs.****************************** Holi The FireFestival The Hindu Fire Festival, called Holi or Basaat ishistoried in India on the fifteenth day of the Light half(a) ofthe Moon, in the Hindu month of Phalguna (March). Holi is a jumpstart festival for Hindus. It is celebrated before themonsoon, the great rainstorms which come each year. Holi isa joyous holiday and is celebrated by Hindus of all ages.Boys and girls squirt water pistols, sometimes large pumpsfilled with saffron or red-colored water. The Hindus favoritecolors are red, crimson and saffron. In Bengal, the Holifestival is associated with the life of Krishna, a Hindu god. InBengal the colored powders are used without the water, forthe fun. Before indulging in a feast in honor of Holi, thechildren sort out of their sporty clothes that are coveredin red and put on fresh, clean garments. It is customary toexchange gifts in honor of this spring festival.****************************** Diwali The Festivalof Lights The Hindu New Year, Diwali, is celebrated on thelast night of autumn, in October or November. It is a holidaywhich is celebrated throughout India. It comes at the give the sack ofthe monsoon rains, when the weather is nice and mild, andlasts for five days. For this holiday, daughters return to theirparents homes, houses are cleared, walls are decorated withdesigns drawn in white rice flour water and then colored. melody account books are closed and new ones areopened ceremoniously, new clothes are worn and friends areentertained. Before the festival, special food is fain tobe offered in the Hindu temples. In preparation and in honorof this festival of lights clay saucers are filled with mustard oiland floating cotton wicks, giving a soft, glowing light to thehomes. These lights are called chirags, and are placed on thewindow sills and rooftops of houses along the roads, and onthe banks of rivers and streams. Women and girls who live inthe sacred metropolis of Banares, take their chirags to the banks ofthe Ganges River. They quietly light them and put them in theriver to float along the water. They hope for their clay boatsto float to the other side with the wicks still lit. If they runlit, it is a sign of good luck. The reason for the lights is todirect Lakshmi goddess of prosperity to every home.