Festivals

India is a land of festivals, and no month passes by without a festival being celebrated. There is a lot of pomp, splendour and gaiety associated with each festival. Sharing of gifts, gift articles and tokens of money are a part of such celebrations. Some of the major festivals are mentioned below with a
description of each festival mentioned underneath.

Christmas - 25th December, 2009
Christmas is traditionally celebrated on 25th December of every year with aplomb and much gaiety as the birth of Jesus Christ. Although a Christian holiday, it is also observed as a cultural holiday the world over. On this day, Jesus was born in a manger. He has millions of followers all across the world. People celebrate Christmas by attending mass in churches and giving Holy Christmas gifts to each other.

New Year - 1st January, 2009
New Year day celebrates the end of one year and the beginning of another year. New Year is celebrated by many cultures and countries around the world including the United States, the United Kingdom, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and India.

Lohri - 13th January, 2010
Lohri is an annual thanksgiving Indian festival at the end of the harvest season that is celebrated with much joy and gaiety especially in Northern India.

Makar Sakranti / Uttarayan - 14th January, 2010
Makar Sankranti celebrates the transition journey of the sun from the Saggitarius to Capricon (Makar Rashi). This festival is celebrated in various ways in many states across India. In Gujarat, people celebrate this occasion by flying kites. In other states, people exchange sweets made from jaggery, sesame seeds, and puffed rice. This festival is also known as Uttarayan - the transition of the sun towards the northern hemisphere.

Pongal - 14th January, 2010
Pongal is the annual harvest festival in southern India, especially in the Southern State of Tamil Nadu. It marks the auspicious beginning of Uttarayan - the transition of the sun towards the northern hemisphere. This festival lasts four days.

Valentine's Day - 14th February, 2010
Valentine's Day is a cultural holiday on which lovers express their love for one another by sending greeting cards and gifts to each other. It is essentially a western festival and is celebrated by western and western influenced cultures. Recenty, the trend of celebrating St.Valentine's day is picking up in India as well. Historically, it is the name of several martyred saints of ancient Rome.

Women's Day - 8th March, 2010
Womens day observed on 8th March every year in India and all across the World & celebrates the spirit of womanhood. An epitome of care, love and sacrifice, the women plays an all-enveloping character of a mother, daughter, wife, sister, friend, and many more. Womens day is indeed a fitting tribute to the economic, social, cultural and political achievements made by women over the years.

Holi - 1st March, 2009
Holi is the festival of colours celebrated on the full moon day of the month of Phagun, which falls in late February or early March according to the Gregorian calendar. On Holi eve, people burn a bonfire of Holika. According to legend, Holika was King Hiranyakashyap's sister who was endowed with a boon that she would remain protected even if she would enter fire.

Mother's Day in UK - 14th March, 2010
Mother's day in the UK is the equivalent of Mother's day in other countries. It is celebrated on the fourth Sunday of Lent. This festival is celebrated since at least the 16th century. It is a time when children honour their mothers by giving them gifts and cards.

Gudi Padva / Ugadi - 16th March, 2010
Gudi Padva is an auspicious festival celebrated by Hindus in the Maharashtra and Konkan region. This day marks the end of one harvest and the beginning of another. It also signifies the beginning of Chaitra - the month signifying the beginning of spring. This festival essentially venerates Lord Brahma - the first mentioned in the Hindu Trinity. On this day, a Gudhi - flag of Brahma is hoisted prominently in many Maharashtrian and Konkani households. On this day, people exchange gifts and sweets with each other.

Mother's Day in USA - 9th May, 2010
Mother's day is a secular festival that is celebrated to honour motherhood and the positive contribution of mothers to American society. On this day, children give cards and gifts to their mothers as a token of appreciation.