Events & Festivals

Christmas Christmas  (which means "Christ's Mass") is a holiday that is celebrated on December 25. It is a worldwide cultural and commercial phenomenon. For two millennia, people around the world have been observing it with traditions and practices that are both religious and secular in nature. Christians celebrate Christmas Day as the birthday of Jesus of Nazareth, a spiritual leader whose teachings form the basis of their religion. Popular customs include exchanging gifts, decorating Christmas trees, attending church, sharing meals with family and friends and, of course, waiting for Santa Claus to arrive. Christmas Day has been a federal holiday in the United States since 1870. History Winter celebrations The middle of winter has long been a time of celebration around the world. Centuries before the arrival of the man called Jesus, early Europeans celebrated light and birth in the darkest days of winter. Man...

Christmas Eve  The day before Christmas is a public holiday in several countries When is Christmas Eve? Christmas Eve is always celebrated on 24 December. If Christmas Day falls on a weekend, then this holiday may be observed on a different day. Countries and regions which officially have Christmas Eve as a public holiday are shown on the right. Even if it is not a public holiday, be aware that many businesses in Europe will give employees the afternoon or the whole day as a holiday. As Christmas is traditionally a time to spend with families, a lot of people may leave work early to travel home or visit relatives, so this is not a good day to arrange business meetings. History of Christmas Eve Christmas Eve marks the culmination of the Advent period before Christmas that started on the fourth Sunday before Christmas Eve. Many churches will mark the end of Advent with midnight church services. In Latin America, Christmas Eve marks the end of a nine day p...

Guru Nanak Jayanti Guru Nanak Jayanti Sikh festival falls in the month of Kartik (October/November). Sikhs celebrate Guru Nanak's Birthday and the other Gurpurbs with an Akhand Path, a reading of the Sikh holy scriptures, the Guru Granth Sahib, continuously from beginning to end. This is done by a team of Sikh men and women, each reading for 2-3 hours over 48 hours, beginning two days before and ending early on the morning of the birthday. On the penultimate day of Guru Nanak Jayanti, a procession takes place in the morning, which is more commonly known as the 'Prabhat pheri'. Five armed guards, who represent the Panj Pyares, head the procession carrying Nishan Sahibs (the Sikh flag). Local bands playing religious music form a special part of the procession. Sikhs also visit gurdwaras where special programs are arranged and kirtans (religious songs) are sung. Houses and gurdwaras are lit up to add to the festivities. Guru Nanak Dev's life served as a beacon light...

Chhath Puja A prominent festival for the North Indian state of Bihar and certain regions of Uttar Pradesh and Nepal, Chhath Puja rituals start on the sixth day of Hindu calendar month, Kartika. Starting tomorrow, October 24 , Chhath Puja festivities span across four days and are observed to worship the Sun god and seek his blessings for the overall prosperity of the family. The fervour around the puja is marked by offering prayers to the Sun god, fasting and taking dips into the holy waters of Ganga (however, with time people have evolved and become less rigid about this rule). The grandest festival for those who observe it, Chhath Puja is also a stringent one that encourages frugality and abstinence from food and water. Here's everything you need to know about the legend, significance and rituals around Chhath Puja. Legend: While the exact origins of Chhath Puja remain undefined and ambiguous, some believe it dates all the way back to Hindu epics, Ramaya...

Bhai Dooj: Brother-Sister Ritual Nowhere is the bond of brotherly-sisterly love glorified with such grandeur as in India. Hindus celebrate this special relationship twice every year, with the festivals of Raksha Bandhan and Bhai Dooj. What, When and How After the high voltage celebrations of Diwali, the  festival of lights  and firecrackers, sisters all over India get ready for 'Bhai Dooj' - when sisters ceremonize their love by putting an auspicious  tilak  or a vermilion mark on the forehead of their brothers and perform an  aarti  of him by showing him the light of the holy flame as a mark of love and protection from evil forces. Sisters are lavished with gifts, goodies, and blessings from their brothers. Bhai Dooj comes every year on the fifth and last day of  Diwali , which falls on a new moon night. The name 'Dooj' means the second day after the new moon, the day of the festival, and 'Bhai' means brother. Myths and Legen...

Diwali Diwali, or the festival of lights, is celebrated every October. While Navratri celebrations already have the country enveloped in festive decorations, song,  dancing  and gluttonous feasts, the next couple of weeks are only going to intensify the celebratory mood. We bring you a list of seven interesting facts about Diwali that will help you appreciate just how important this ancient festival is to Hindus around the world. Lord Ram’s return to Ayodhya One of the primary stories revolving around Diwali in Hindu mythology is that the day marks the return of  Lord Rama , his wife Sita Devi and brother Lakshmana, to his homeland Ayodhya after 14 years spent in exile. To light the path for Rama, who had defeated the demon king Ravana, villagers use festive lights and other decorations. Reenactments of the Ramayana, the story of Lord Rama, are part of the celebrations in some areas. Krishna defeats the demon Narakasura The auspicious day is a...