An

occasion for celebration, especially a day or time of religious significance that recurs at regular intervals. Being a highly spiritual country, festivals are at the heart of peoples lives in India. The numerous and varied festivals that are held throughout the year offer a unique way of seeing the Indian culture at its best. A festival is a celebration of life, and they bring peace and joy They break the monotony of life

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colorful festivals are an integral part of every Indian The festivals play a very important role in promoting the traditional aspect as well as tourism of the country The rich cultural heritage of India attracts the western world during the celebration of important festivals like Holi, Dussehra and many others more.

 Festivals

are of three types National, Religious and Seasonal National festivals are celebrated with great patriotic favor Independence day, republic day etc The second type of festivals depict the religious association of the people Holi, Diwali, Dussehra. The third type sees people celebrating a seasonal change with gaiety and enthusiasm Onam, Sankranthi, Baisakhi

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region celebrates their festival according to their religious customs and rituals Some of the common rituals, which are followed in most of the festivals are, a. Processions in the streets b. Decoration of homes and temples c. Preparation of special and exotic festival cuisine d. Inviting over friends and relatives home

 India

being a multi-cultural and multireligious society celebrates festivals of various religions a. Hindu festivals Sankranti, Ugadi, Diwali, Holi, Dussehra, Ganesh Chaturthi, Varalakshmi vratam b. Christian festivals- Christmas, Good Friday c. Muslim festivals- Bakrid, Mahuram, Ramzam, Id

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New year festival or Ugadi comes close on the heels of Holi. It is believed that the creator of the Hindu pantheon Lord Brahma started creation on this day Chaitrasuddhapadhyami or the Ugadi day. Ugadi marks the beginning of a new Hindu lunar calendar with a change in the moon's orbit. It is a season for raw mangoes spreading its aroma in the air and the fully blossomed Neem tree that makes the air healthy.

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celebration of Ugadi is marked by religious zeal and social merriment. Special dishes are prepared for the occasion. In Andhra Pradesh, eatables such as Pulihora", Bobbatlu" and preparations made with raw mango go well with the occasion. In Karnataka too, similar preparations are made but called "puliogure" and "holige". The Maharashtrians make "puranpoli" or sweet rotis.

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Sankranthi festival is the harvest festival which is celebrated to mark the beginning of the harvest season and to pray for a good harvest. The festival is called Pongal in Tamil Nadu, Khichiri in Uttar Pradesh And Bihu in and Lohari in Punjab A common custom found across Karnataka is the exchange of sugarcane pieces and Ellu with one's neighbors, friends and relatives. Ellu bella thindu, Olle Maathu Aadu (Eat sesame seeds and speak only good). The significance of this exchange is that sweetness should prevail in all the dealings.

Traditional stories tell that Lord Ganesha was created by goddess Parvati, consort of Lord Shiva. The festival is observed in Hindu calendar month of Bhadrapada starting on Shukla chaturti (fourth day of the waxing moon period). The date usually falls between 19 August and 15 September. Two to three months prior to Ganesh Chaturthi, artistic plaster of paris(originally clay)models of Lord Ganesha are made for sale by specially skilled artisans. They are beautifully decorated & depict Lord Ganesha in various poses

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main sweet dish during the festival is the modak/modakum. A modak is a dumpling made from rice flour/wheat flour with a stuffing of fresh or dry-grated coconut, jaggery, dry fruits and some other condiments. Today, the Ganesh Festival is not only a popular festival, it has become a very critical and important economic activity form Mumbai, Hyderabad Vishakapatanam, Bangalore and Chennai. Many artists, industries, and businesses survive on this mega-event

DUSSEHRA

The Dasara festivities were first started by the Vijayanagar Kings in 15th Century, after the fall of Vijayanagar Kingdom Its a festival which is celebrated for 10 days, the last day being Vijayadashami. Each of the other nine days is dedicated to the different forms of the goddess Durga. The highlight of the tenth day is the burning of the effigies of Ravana, his brother Kumbhakarna and his son Indrajit The burning of the effigies of Ravana on Vijayadashami,signifies the victory of good over evil, bringing the festivities to a colorful close.

Deepawali or Diwali is the most awaited and immensely cherished festival across India. Diwali is most popularly known as the festival of lights This festival is not only significant to Hindus but has importance to Jainism, Buddhism and Sikhism. According to the Hindu calendar, the festival of diwali is celebrated on the new moon day that marks the end of Ashwin and beginning of the Karthik moon. We usually celebrate it in the months of October or November, a few days after Dusshera.

For Hindus, diwali is associated with the return of lord Rama to Ayodhya, after his 14 years of exile and victory over the demon Ravana. On that day, he was welcomed to the kingdom of Ayodhya with rows of Deep, lit throughout the kingdom. Thus on that day, there is a tradition of lighting oil lamps that is symbolic of the victory of good over evil and the freedom from spiritual darkness. Hindus also make preparations to welcome goddess Laksmi by drawing rangoli and footsteps(Paduka).

 Burning

crackers is one of the most important activities associative with diwali. Lighting of the lamps to bring in the light of happiness, togetherness and prosperity Preparation of different kinds of sweets Diwali celebrations actually spread across 5 days. Dhanteras, Choti Diwali, Badi Diwali, Govardhan Puja and ends with Bhai Dooj.

With the sounds of crackers killing the bad omens, the lighted lamps- lighting the lives of the people, the prayers and pujas creating an atmosphere full of goodness and purity, the festival of Diwali indeed fills the atmosphere with an aura of goodness and calm.

The term Christmas is a translation of the Old English version Cristes Maesse which literally means the Mass of Christ. It is a traditional holiday in the Christian calendar and the most auspicious and holistic Christian festival observed across the globe on December 25th with much fanfare. December 25th is celebrated as the birth anniversary of Lord Jesus Christ, who is believed to be born on the same date at Bethlehem, the land of Jews. The festival is celebrated as a mark of respect to Lord Jesus, who is considered as the son of God and founder of the Christian religion. Christmas is basically celebrated by the Christians; but it is also observed as a day of celebration by other communities around the globe.

CHRISTMAS TREE

SANTA CLAUS

"Festival of Sacrifice" or "Greater Eid" is an important religious holiday celebrated by Muslims worldwide to commemorate the willingness of Abraham (Ibrahim) to sacrifice his son Ishmael(Isma'il) as an act of obedience to God, before God intervened to provide him with a sheep to sacrifice instead. Eid al-Adha is celebrated annually on the 10th day of the 12th and the last Islamic month of Dhu al-Hijjah of the lunar Islamic calendar. Eid al-Adha celebrations start after the Hajj, the annual pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia by Muslims worldwide, descend from Mount Arafat. The date is approximately 70 days (2 Months & 10 days) after the end of the month of Ramadan, i.e. Eid-ul-Fitr. Ritual observance of the holiday lasts until sunset of the 13th day of Dhu al-Hijjah

Id-ul-Zuha also called Id-ul-Adha in Arabic and Bakr-Id in the Indian subcontinent, because of the tradition of sacrificing a goat or 'bakr' in Urdu On this day Muslims sacrifice a goat or Bakr (Urdu) to commemorate the sacrifice of Prophet Ibrahim, who willingly agreed to kill his son at the behest of God. This festival coincides with the Haj pilgrimage in Mecca. Prayers are offered in the mosques and the sacrificial meat is then distributed after the Id prayers. Special delicacies are prepared and served among family and friends on the occasion. On Id-ul-Zuha, special `Dua` (prayer) is recited by thousands of Muslims for peace and prosperity. The wealthy are expected to sacrifice one animal per family and distribute two-thirds of the meat among poor.

Good Friday is the Friday within Holy Week, and is a time of fasting and penance, commemorating the anniversary of Christ's crucifixion and death. For Christians (Catholic, Orthodox, Methodist, etc.), Good Friday commemorates not just a historical event, but the sacrificial death of Christ, which with the resurrection, comprises the heart of the Christian faith. The Catholic Church treats Good Friday as a fast day, which in the Latin Rite of the Church is understood as having only one full meal (but smaller than a regular meal) and two collations (a smaller repast, two of which together do not equal one full meal) and on which the faithful abstain from eating meat. In countries where Good Friday is not a day of rest from work, the afternoon liturgical service is usually put off until a few hours after the recommended time of 3 p.m.

 HOLI
RAMANAVAMI KRISHNA

JANMASHTAMI RAKSHA BANDHAN SHIVA RATHRI MUHARRAM EASTER MAHAVEER JAYANTHI VARAMAHALAKSMI VRATA

As the year draws to a close, it leaves us in grand style with many festivals for people of all religions to enjoy. When we talk of festivals the one thing all of us enjoy is the festivities and celebrations linked to it. Every festival has had a historical and/or religious origin while some are linked to seasonal changes but one thing common in all is it brings together people from all walks of life and offers a sense of belongingness for religious, social, or geographical groups. It is this particular aspect of festivals that makes the celebrations truly grand.