25 Most Celebrated Festivals of The Secular Nation - The Sub-Continent #MyIndianFestivals

Indian Festivals 

• The rich and vibrant festivals of India are a testimony to our diverse tradition and culture. Festivals in India revolve around Lord’s birthdays, traditional myths, seasonal changes, relationships, and much more. Festivals are celebrated irrespective of religion or caste in the country, bringing people closer and creating a strong bond of humanity.
• Right from childhood, infants in India are part of every festival celebration in the house. This helps them understand the rituals of each festival and they develop a liking for the festivals and celebrations. As they grow older, they get fonder of these festivals and they want to celebrate it in its full potential to enjoy it thoroughly. You will notice a lot of youngsters participating in festivals like Ganesh Chaturthi, Diwali, Durga Puja and Christmas. These festivals bring them closer to each other as well as the country and instill a feeling of patriotism as well.
• For students, it is a great way to understand the rich heritage of India and learn about the importance of various festivals. These festivals also help students from across the world to know about India and its history. This creates a good reputation for our country in the world and we get an opportunity to spread our country’s rich heritage. Many schools organize the cultural exchange for students that foster intercultural learning experiences. Cultural exchange programs promote mutual understanding between nations and students get an opportunity to learn the culture of other countries.
• Our age-old traditions have gifted the country with various festivals and fairs. Many tourists come to India to witness the various celebrations and revel in the enjoyment. Indians celebrate various moments like plowing day, harvesting day, changing seasons, and many more. Earlier, there was something to celebrate every single day, so people had festivals for 365 days in a year.

Here are the 25 Most Celebrated Festivals of The Secular Nation - The Indian Subcontinent: 

1. Lohri: (13th January 2018)

• Lohri is a popular wintertime Punjabi folk festival, celebrated primarily by Sikhs and Hindus from the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent.
• Many people believe the festival commemorates the passing of the winter solstice.
• Lohri is linked to the Bikrami calendar and is celebrated the day before the festival of Maghi celebrated in India as Makar Sankranti.
• The ancient significance of the festival is both as a winter crop season celebration and a remembrance of the Sun-deity.

2. Makar Sankranti: (14th January 2018)

• It marks the first day of sun's transit into the Makara (Capricorn), marking the end of the month with the winter solstice and the start of longer days.
• Makar Sankranti is one of the few ancient Hindu festivals that has been observed according to solar cycles, while most festivals are set by the lunar cycle of the lunisolar Hindu calendar.
• The significance of Surya is traceable to the Vedic texts, particularly the Gayatri Mantra, a sacred hymn of Hinduism found in its scripture named the Rigveda. The festival also marks the beginning of six months auspicious period for Hindus known as Uttarayana period.
• Makar Sankranti is regarded as important for spiritual practices and accordingly, people take a holy dip in rivers, especially Ganga, Yamuna, Godavari, Krishna, and Cauvery.

3. Pongal: (15th January 2018)

• Thanksgiving to Sun God for Harvest.
• Thai Pongal is one of the most important festivals celebrated by Tamil people in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, the Indian Union Territory of Puducherry, and the country of Sri Lanka, as well as Tamils worldwide, including those in Malaysia, Mauritius, South Africa, United States, Singapore, Canada, and UK.
• The day marks the start of the sun's six-month-long journey northwards (the Uttaraayanam).
• This day coincides with Makara Sankranthi which is celebrated throughout India, Nepal, and Bangladesh.

Name	Region
Thai Pongal	Tamil Nadu
Makara Sankranthi	Andhra Pradesh, Bengal, Bihar, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Telangana Uttar Pradesh
Uttarayana	Gujarat and Rajasthan
Maghi	Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Punjab
Magh Bihu/Bhogali Bihu	Assam
Maghe Sankranti orMakar Sankranti	Nepal
Shakrain	Bangladesh

4. Vasant Panchami: (end of January or the start of February)

• Vasant Panchami, also spelled Basant Panchami, is a Hindu spring festival.
• The festival is celebrated in various ways depending on the region. Many revere goddess Saraswati, the Hindu deity of learning, arts, and music
• Others mark it as the festival of god Kama, the Hindu deity of love, by remembering the loved one particularly one's spouse or special friend, celebrating it with spring flowers. Its link with the god of love and its traditions have led some scholars to call it "a Hindu form of Valentine's Day"
• The Vasant Panchami also marks the start of preparation for Holika bonfire and Holi, which occurs forty days later.
• Vasant Panchami is celebrated every year on the fifth day of the bright half of the Hindu lunisolar calendar month of Magha, which typically falls in late January or February.
• The festival is particularly observed in the north, central and western parts by Hindus of India and in Nepal.

5. Thaipusam: (31st January 2018)

• Thaipusam or Thaipoosam is a festival celebrated by the Tamil community on the full moon in the Tamil month of Thai (January/February). 
• It is mainly observed in countries where there is a significant presence of Tamil community such as India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Mauritius Singapore, South Africa and other places where ethnic Hindu Tamils reside as a part of the local Indian diaspora population such as Indonesia, Thailand, Myanmar, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, Suriname, Jamaica and the other parts of the Caribbean.
• It is a national holiday in many countries like Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Mauritius, and Fiji.
• The word Thaipusam is a combination of the name of the month, Thai, and the name of a star, Pusam. This particular star is at its highest point during the festival.

6. Maha Shivaratri: (13th February 2018)

• Maha Shivaratri is a Hindu festival celebrated annually in honor of the god Shiva.
• There is a Shivaratri in every lunisolar month of the Hindu calendar, on the month's 13th night/14th day, but once a year in late winter (February/March, or Phalguna) and before the arrival of spring, marks Maha Shivaratri which means "the Great Night of Shiva"
• It is a major festival in Hinduism, but one that is solemn and marks a remembrance of "overcoming darkness and ignorance" in life and the world. 
• It is observed by remembering Shiva and chanting prayers, fasting, doing Yoga, and meditating on ethics and virtues such as self-restraint, honesty, noninjury to others, forgiveness, and the discovery of Shiva.
• Unlike most Hindu festivals which are celebrated during the day, the Maha Shivaratri is celebrated at night.
• Furthermore, unlike most Hindu festivals which include expression of cultural revelry, the Maha Shivaratri is a solemn event notable for its introspective focus, fasting, the meditation on Shiva, self-study, social harmony and an all-night vigil at Shiva temples.
• The celebration includes maintaining a "jaagaran", an all-night vigil and prayers, because of Shaiva Hindus mark this night as "overcoming darkness and ignorance" in one's life and the world through Shiva.

7. Holika Dahan: (1st March 2018)

• Holika Dahan also Kamudu pyre is celebrated by burning Holika, the devil. 
• For many traditions in Hinduism, Holi celebrates the death of Holika in order to save Prahlad by Vishnu in the city of Multan, and thus Holi gets its name. 
• The night before Holi, pyres are burnt in North India, Nepal and parts of South India in keeping with this tradition. The youth playfully steal all sorts of things and put them in Holika pyre.
• The burning of Holika is the most common mythological explanation for the celebration of Holi. In different parts of India, varying reasons are given for Holika's death but all agree that the incident occurred in the city of Mulasthana (modern Multan), Punjab. Among those are:

• Vishnu stepped in and hence Holika burnt.
• Holika was given the power by the Brahma on the understanding that it can never be used to bring harm to anyone,
• Holika was a good person and it was the clothes that she wore that gave her the power and knowing that what was happening was wrong, she gave them to Prahlad and hence died herself.
• Holika wore a shawl that would protect her from the fire. So when she was asked to sit in the fire with Prahlad she put on the shawl and sat Prahlad down in her lap. When the fire was lit Prahlad began praying to Lord Vishnu. So Lord Vishnu summoned a gust of wind to blow the shawl off of Holika and on to Prahlad, saving him from the flames of the bonfire and burning Holika to her death.

8. Holi: (2nd March 2018)

• Holi is a Hindu spring festival celebrated in India and Nepal, also known as the "festival of colors" or the "festival of love".
• The festival signifies the victory of good over evil, the arrival of spring, end of winter, and for many a festive day to meet others, play and laugh, forget and forgive, and repair broken relationships.
• It is also celebrated as a thanksgiving for a good harvest.
• It lasts for a night and a day, starting on the evening of the Purnima (Full Moon day) falling in the Vikram Samvat Hindu Calendar month of Phalguna, which falls somewhere between the end of February and the middle of March in the Gregorian Calendar.
• The first evening is known as Holika Dahan or Chhoti Holi and the following day as Holi, Rangwali Holi, Dhuleti, Dhulandi, or Phagwah.
• A national holiday in India, a regional holiday in Nepal and other countries. 
• To many Hindus and some non-Hindus, it is a playful cultural event and an excuse to throw colored water at friends or strangers in jest.

9. Chaitra Navratri: (18th March 2018 to 26th March 2018)

• Chaitra Navratri is nine days festivity which starts on the first day of Hindu Luni-Solar calendar and falls in the month of March or April. Chaitra is the first month of Hindu lunar calendar and because of it, this Navratri is known as Chaitra Navratri. Chaitra Navratri is also known as Vasanta Navratri. Rama Navami, the birthday of Lord Rama usually falls on a ninth day during Navratri festivity. Hence Chaitra Navratri is also known as Rama Navratri.
• All nine days during Navratri are dedicated to nine forms of Goddess Shakti. Most customs and rituals followed during Shardiya Navratri, which falls in the month of September or October, are also followed during Chaitra Navratri. Ghatasthapana Puja Vidhi for Shardiya Navratri and Chaitra Navratri is same.
• Chaitra Navratri is more popular in northern India. In Maharashtra, Chaitra Navratri begins with Gudi Padwa and in Andhra Pradesh, it begins with Ugadi.

10. Ugadi: (18th March 2018)

• Ugadi or Yugadi is celebrated as the first day of the year by people of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. On this day new Samvatsara, which is a cycle of sixty years, starts. All sixty Samvatsara are identified by unique name.
• Ugadi is celebrated as Gudi Padwa by the people of Maharashtra. Both Ugadi and Gudi Padwa are celebrated on the same day.
• The day begins with ritual oil-bath followed by prayers. Oil bath and eating Neem leaves are must rituals suggested by scriptures. North Indians don’t celebrate Ugadi but start nine days Chaitra Navratri Puja on the same day and also eat Neem with Mishri on the very first day of Navratri.

11. Ram Navami: (25th March 2018)

• Rama Navami is a spring Hindu festival that celebrates the birthday of god Rama.
• He is particularly important to the Vaishnavism tradition of Hinduism, as the seventh avatar of Vishnu.
• The festival is a part of the spring Navratri and falls on the ninth day of the bright half (Shukla Paksha) in the Hindu calendar month of Chaitra.
• This typically occurs in the Gregorian months of March or April every year.
• Rama Navami is a relatively minor festival of Hinduism and not a national holiday, but an optional restricted holiday in India.
• The festival celebrates the descent of god Vishnu as Rama avatar, through his birth to King Dasharatha and Queen Kausalya in Ayodhya.

12. Mahavir Jayanti: (29th March 2018)

• Mahavir Janma Kalyanak is one of the most important religious festivals for Jains.
• It celebrates the birth of Mahavira, the twenty-fourth and last Tirthankara of Avasarpini. 
• Most modern historians consider Vasokund as Mahavira's birthplace.
• According to Jain texts, Mahavira was born on the thirteenth day of the bright half of the moon in the month of Chaitra in the year 599 BCE (Chaitra Sud 13).
• Mahavira was born in a democratic kingdom (Ganarajya), Vajji, where the king was chosen by votes. Vaishali was its capital.
• Mahavira was named 'Vardhamana', which means "One who grows", because of the increased prosperity in the kingdom at the time of his birth.
• The idol of Mahavira is carried out on a chariot, in a procession called rath yatra.
• On the way stavans (religious rhymes) are recited.
• Statues of Mahavira are given a ceremonial bath called the abhisheka.
• During the day, most members of the Jain community engage in some sort of charitable act. 

13. Hanuman Jayanti: (31st March 2018)

• Hanuman Jayanti or Hanuman Janam-Utsav is a Hindu religious festival that celebrates the birth of Lord Sri Hanuman, who is immensely venerated throughout India and Nepal.
• This festival is celebrated on different days in different parts of India. In most states of India, the festival is observed either in the month of Chaitra (usually on the day of Chaitra Pournimaa) or in the month of Vaishakha, while in a few states like Kerala and Tamil Nadu, it is celebrated in the Hindu month of Dhanu (called Margazhi in Tamil).
• On this auspicious day, devotees of Lord Hanuman celebrate him and seek his protection and blessings.
• They flock to temples to worship him and present religious offerings. In return, The devotees receive prasad by the temple priests in the form of sweets, flowers, coconuts, tilak, sacred ash (udi) and Ganga jal (holy water).
• Lord Hanuman was born on the Anjaneri mountain.
• His mother Anjana was an apsara who was born on earth due to a curse.
• She was redeemed from this curse on giving birth to a son.
• The Valmiki Ramayana states that his father Kesari was the son of Brihaspati, he was the King of a place named Sumeru.
• Anjana performed intense prayers lasting 12 long years to Shiva to get a child. 
• Hanuman, in another interpretation, is the incarnation or reflection of Shiva himself.
• Hanuman is often called the son of the deity Vayu (Wind God); several different traditions account for the Vayu's role in Hanuman's birth.

14. Guru Purnima: (27th July 2018)

• Guru Purnima is a Nepalese and Indian festival dedicated to spiritual and academic teachers. This festival is traditionally celebrated by Hindus, Jains, and Buddhists, to pay their respects to their teachers and express their gratitude. 
• The festival is celebrated on the full moon day (Purnima) in the Hindu month of Ashadha (June–July) as it is known in the Hindu calendar of India and Nepal.
• This day marks the first peak of the lunar cycle after the peak of the solar cycle.
• The celebration is marked by ritualistic respect to the Guru, Guru Puja. The Guru Principle is said to be a thousand times more active on the day of Guru Purnima than on any other day.
• The word Guru is derived from two words, gu and ru. The Sanskrit root gu means darkness or ignorance, and ru denotes the remover of that darkness. Therefore, a Guru is one who removes the darkness of our ignorance.
• This was the day when Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa – author of the Mahabharata – was born to sage Parashara and a fisherman's daughter Satyavati; thus this day is also celebrated as Vyasa Purnima.
• Veda Vyasa did yeoman service to the cause of Vedic studies by gathering all the Vedic hymns extant during his times, dividing them into four parts based on their use in the rites, characteristics and teaching them to his four chief disciples – Paila, Vaisampayana, Jaimini, and Sumantu.
• He divided the Holy Veda into four, namely Rig, Yajur, Sama, and Atharva. The histories and the Puranas are said to be the fifth Veda.

15. Onam: (15th August to 27th August 2018)

• Onam is an annual Hindu festival with origins in the state of Kerala in India.
• It falls in the Malayalam calendar month of Chingam, which in Gregorian calendar overlaps with August–September.
• The festival commemorates the Vamana avatar of Vishnu, the subsequent homecoming of the legendary Emperor Mahabali and mythologies of Hinduism related to Kashyapa and Parashurama.
• Onam is a major annual event for Malayali people in and outside Kerala. It is a harvest festival, one of three major annual Hindu celebrations along with Vishu and Thiruvathira, and it is observed with numerous festivities.
• Onam celebrations include Vallam Kali (boat races), Pulikali (tiger dances), Pookkalam (flower arrangement), Onathappan (worship), Onam Kali, Tug of War, Thumbi Thullal (women's dance), Kummattikali (mask dance), Onathallu (martial arts), Onavillu (music), Kazhchakkula (plantain offerings), Onapottan (costumes), Atthachamayam (folk songs and dance), and other celebrations.

16. Raksha Bandhan: (26th August 2018)

• Raksha Bandhan, also Rakshabandhan, or simply Rakhi, is an annual rite performed in the Indian subcontinent, or by people originating from the Indian subcontinent, and centered around the tying of a thread, talisman, or amulet on the wrist as a form of ritual protection.
• The protection is offered principally by sisters to brothers, but also by priests to patrons, and sometimes by individuals to real or potential benefactors.
• Raksha Bandhan is observed on the last day of the Hindu lunar calendar month of Shraavana, which typically falls in August.
• On this day, sisters of all ages tie a talisman, or amulet, called the rakhi, around the wrists of their brothers, ritually protecting their brothers, receiving a gift from them in return, and traditionally investing the brothers with a share of the responsibility of their potential care.
• Of special significance to married women, Raksha Bandhan is rooted in the practice of territorial exogamy, in which a bride marries out of her natal village or town, and her parents, by custom, do not visit her in her married home.
• One of Tagore's poem invoking rakhi is:
  The love in my body and heart
  For the earth's shadow and light
  Has stayed for years.
  With its cares and its hope, it has thrown
  A language of its own
  Into blue skies.
  It lives in my joys and glooms
  In the spring night's buds and blooms
  Like a Rakhi-band
  On the Future's hand.

17. Janmashtami: (2nd September 2018)

• Krishna Janmashtami also has known simply as Janmashtami or Gokulashtami, is an annual Hindu festival that celebrates the birth of Krishna, the eighth avatar of Vishnu.
• It is observed according to Hindu lunisolar calendar, on the eighth day (Ashtami) of the Krishna Paksha (dark fortnight) in the month of Shraavana of the Hindu Calendar, which overlaps with August and September of the Gregorian calendar.
• It is an important festival particularly to the Vaishnavism tradition of Hinduism.
• Krishna was the son of Devaki and Vasudeva and his birthday is celebrated by Hindus as Janmashtami.
• Krishna was born in an era of chaos, persecution was rampant, freedoms were denied, evil was everywhere, and when there was a threat to his life by his uncle King Kansa.
• Immediately following the birth, his father Vasudeva took Krishna across the Yamuna, to foster parents in Gokul, named Nanda and Yashoda.
• After Krishna's midnight hour birth, statues of baby Krishna are washed and clothed, then placed in a cradle.
• In contemporary times, many Indian cities celebrate this annual Hindu ritual. Youth groups form Govinda pathaks, which compete with each other, especially for prize money on Janmashtami. These groups are called mandals or handis and they go around the local areas, attempting to break as many pots as possible every August.

• Cash and gifts are offered for Govinda teams, and according to The Times of India, in 2014 over 4,000 handis in Mumbai alone were high hung with prizes, and numerous Govinda teams participated.

18. Ganesh Chaturthi: (13th September 2018)

• Ganesh Chaturthi also was known as Vinayaka Chaturthi is the Hindu festival that reveres god Ganesha.
•  A ten-day festival, it starts on the fourth day of Hindu lunisolar calendar month Bhadrapada, which typically falls in Gregorian months of August or September.
• It is unclear when the festival started, it may have South Indian origins, but historical evidence suggests it became a major social and public event with sponsorship of Shivaji after Mughal-Maratha wars, and again in the 19th century after public appeal by Indian freedom fighter Lokmanya Tilak, who championed it as a means to circumvent the colonial British government ban on Hindu gatherings through its anti-public assembly legislation in 1892.
• The earliest mention of Ganapati, now considered equivalent to Ganesha or Vinayaka, is found in the Rigveda. It appears twice in the Rigveda, once in hymn 2.23.1, as well as in hymn 10.112.9.
• Public preparations for the festivities begin months in advance. Local Mandapa or Pandal are usually funded either from donations by local residents or hosted by businesses or community organizations. The making of the Murti in Maharashtra usually begins with "Padya pooja" or worshipping the feet of Lord Ganesh. The Murti's are brought to "pandals" on the day or a day before the festival begins. The pandals have elaborate decoration and lighting.

19. Navratri: (10th October to 18th October 2018)

• Navaratri also spelled Navratri or Navarathri, is a nine nights (ten days) Hindu festival, celebrated in the autumn every year. It is observed for different reasons and celebrated differently in various parts of the Indian subcontinent.
• Theoretically, there are four seasonal Navratri. However, in practice, it is the post-monsoon autumn festival called Sharada Navratri that is the most observed in the honor of the divine feminine Devi (Durga).

• The festivities extend beyond goddess Durga and god Rama. Various other goddesses such as Saraswati and Lakshmi, gods such as Ganesha, Kartikeya, Shiva, and Krishna are regionally revered.
• The traditional method includes fasting for a day, or partially every one of the nine days such as by not eating grains or just taking liquid foods, in remembrance of one of nine aspects of Shakti goddess. The prayers are dedicated to a symbolic clay pot called garbo, as a remembrance of the womb of the family and universe. The clay pot is lit, and this is believed to represent the one Atman.

• Day 1: Yellow (Pratipada)
• Day 2: Green (Dwitiya)
• Day 3: Grey (Tritiya)
• Day 4: Orange (Chaturthi)
• Day 5: White (Panchami)
• Day 6: Red (Shashti)
• Day 7: Royal Blue (Saptami)
• Day 8: Pink (Ashtami)
• Day 9: Purple (Navami)

20. Dussehra: (19th October 2018)

• Vijayadashami also was known as Dasara, Dusshera or Dussehra is a major Hindu festival celebrated at the end of Navratri every year.
• Vijayadashami celebrations include processions to a river or ocean front that carry clay statues of Durga, Lakshmi, Saraswati, Ganesha and Kartikeya, accompanied by music and chants, after which the images are immersed into the water for dissolution and a goodbye.
• In Gujarat, both goddess Durga and god Rama are revered for their victory over evil. Fasting and prayers at temples are common. A regional dance called Dandia Ras, that deploys colorfully decorated sticks, and Garba that is dancing in traditional dress is a part of the festivities through the night.

21. Dhanteras: (5th November 2018)

• Dhanteras or Dhanvantari Trayodashi is the first day that marks the festival of Diwali in India and the festival of Tihar in Nepal.
• Dhanteras is celebrated on the thirteenth lunar day of Krishna Paksha (dark fortnight) in the Vikram Samvat Hindu calendar month of Ashwin.
• Dhanvantari, who is also worshipped on the occasion of Dhanteras, is the god of Ayurveda who imparted the wisdom of Ayurveda for the betterment of mankind and to help rid it of the suffering of disease.
• The Indian ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga, and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Homoeopathy, announced its decision to observe Dhanteras, as the “National Ayurveda Day” which was first observed on October 28, 2016.
• Dhanteras marks the beginning of the five-day festivities of Diwali, The festival is celebrated as "Lakshmi Puja" is performed in the evenings when tiny diyas of clay are lit to drive away the shadows of evil spirits. Bhajans, devotional songs in praise of Goddess Lakshmi, are sung and "Naivedya" of traditional sweets is offered to the Goddess.
• A peculiar custom in Maharashtra exists where people lightly pound dry coriander seeds (Dhane in Marathi for Dhanatrayodashi) with jaggery and offer the mixture as Naivedya.
• On Dhanteras, homes that have not yet been cleaned in preparation for Diwali are thoroughly cleaned and whitewashed, and Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth, is worshiped in the evening.
• The main entrance is decorated with colorful lanterns, holiday lights and traditional motifs of Rangoli designs are made to welcome the Goddess of Wealth and Prosperity. To indicate her long-awaited arrival, small footprint’s are drawn with rice flour and vermilion powder all over the houses.
• On the night of Dhanteras, diyas (lamps) are ritually kept burning all through the nights in honor of Lakshmi and Dhanvantari.
• On the day of Dhantrayodashi, Goddess Lakshmi came out from the ocean of milk during the churning of the Sea. Hence, Goddess Lakshmi, along with Lord Kuber is worshiped on the day of Trayodashi.
• According to a popular legend, when the devas and asuras performed the Samudra Manthan (churning of the ocean) for Amrita (the divine nectar of immortality), Dhanvantari (the physician of the Gods and an incarnation of Vishnu) emerged carrying a jar of the elixir on the day of Dhanteras.

22. Diwali: (7th November 2018)

• Diwali or Deepavali is the Hindu festival of lights celebrated every year in autumn in the northern hemisphere (spring in the southern hemisphere).
• It is an official holiday in Fiji, Guyana, India, Malaysia, Mauritius, Myanmar, Nepal, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago.
• One of the most popular festivals of Hinduism, it spiritually signifies the victory of light over darkness, good over evil, knowledge over ignorance, and hope over despair.
• Its celebration includes millions of lights shining on housetops, outside doors and windows, around temples and other buildings in the communities and countries where it is observed.
• The festival preparations and rituals typically extend over a five-day period, but the main festival night of Diwali coincides with the dark night of the Hindu Lunisolar month Kartika in Bikram Sambat calendar (the month of Aippasi in Tamil Calendar), on the 15th of the month. In the Gregorian calendar, Diwali night falls between mid-October and mid-November.
• Before Diwali night, people clean, renovate, and decorate their homes and offices.
• There is significant variation in regional practices and rituals. Depending on the region, prayers are offered before one or more deities, with most common being Lakshmi – the goddess of wealth and prosperity. On Diwali night, fireworks light up the neighborhood skies. Later, family members and invited friends celebrate the night over food and sweets.
• Diwali is celebrated by Hindus, Jains, and Sikhs and Newar Buddhists to mark different historical events and stories, but they all symbolize the victory of light over darkness, knowledge over ignorance, good over evil, hope over despair.

23. Bhai Dooj: (9th November 2018)

• Bhai Dooj / Bhau-Beej / Bhai Tika / Bhai Phonta is a festival celebrated by Hindus of India and Nepal on the second lunar day of Shukla Paksha (bright fortnight) in the Vikram Samvat Hindu calendar month of Kartika. It is celebrated during the Diwali or Tihar festival.
• The celebrations of this day are similar to the festival of Raksha Bandhan. On this day, brothers get gifts from sisters.
• In the southern part of the country, the day is celebrated as Yama Dwitiya.
• On the day of the festival, sisters invite their brothers for a sumptuous meal often including their favorite dishes/sweets. The procedure may be different in Bihar and central India. The whole ceremony signifies the duty of a brother to protect his sister, as well as a sister's blessings for her brother.

24. Paryushan: (7th September to 14th September 2018)

• Paryushana is the most important annual holy events for Jains and is usually celebrated in August or September in Hindi calendar Bhadrapad Month's Shukla Paksha.
• It lasts 8 Days for Swetambara and 10 days for Digambara sect of Jains. Jains increase their level of spiritual intensity often using fasting and prayer/meditation to help.
• The five main vows are emphasized during this time. There are no set rules, and followers are encouraged to practice according to their ability and desires.
• Paryusana means "abiding and coming together". It is a time when the Jains take on vows of study and fasting.
• At the conclusion of the festival, śrāvakas request each other for forgiveness for all offenses committed during the last year.
• Forgiveness is asked by saying Micchami Dukkadam or Uttam Kshama to each other. It means "If I have caused you offense in any way, knowingly or unknowingly, in thought word or deed, then I seek your forgiveness"
• The date for the Paryushana festival is Bhadra Shukla Chaturthi. For this minimum duration, Paryushana must be initiated by Panchami (the fifth day) of the Shukla paksha phase of Bhadra. The last day is called Samvatsari, short for Samvatsari Pratikramana. Because of computational and other differences, there can be some minor differences among various sects.

25. Christmas: (25th December 2018)

• Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed most commonly on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world.
• A feast central to the Christian liturgical year, it is preceded by the season of Advent or the Nativity Fast and initiates the season of Christmastide, which historically in the West lasts twelve days and culminates on the Twelfth Night; in some traditions, Christmastide includes an octave.
• The traditional Christmas narrative, the Nativity of Jesus, delineated in the New Testament says that Jesus was born in Bethlehem, in accordance with messianic prophecies; when Joseph and Mary arrived in the city, the inn had no room and so they were offered a stable where the Christ Child was soon born, with angels proclaiming this news to shepherds who then further disseminated the information.
• Charles Dickens and other writers reinvented the holiday by emphasizing Christmas as a time for family, religion, gift-giving, and social reconciliation as opposed to the revelry that had been common historically.
• In the 3rd century, the date of birth of Jesus was the subject of both great interest and great uncertainty. Around AD 200, Clement of Alexandria wrote:

There are those who have determined not only the year of our Lord's birth, but also the day; and they say that it took place in the 28th year of  Augustus and in the 25th day of [the Egyptian month] Pachon [May 20] … Further, others say that He was born on the 24th or 25th of Pharmuthi [April 20 or 21].

• December 25 was the date of the winter solstice on the Roman calendar. Jesus chose to be born on the shortest day of the year for symbolic reasons, according to an early Christmas sermon by Augustine: "Hence it is that He was born on the day which is the shortest in our earthly reckoning and from which subsequent days begin to increase in length. He, therefore, who bent low and lifted us up chose the shortest day, yet the one whence light begins to increase."
• There you are among the 25 most known and widely celebrated festivals in the Indian Subcontinent. 
• I hope you loved the article and inculcated yourself with the significance and a brief of each festival. 
• That's Conceptuality Signing Off Until Next Time. Stay Tuned To Get Acquainted With Such Interesting Facts and Concepts.

To know more about my blog have a look at this link: 

Conceptuality Explained!

 ~Jay Mehta

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Jay Mehta.

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