How Indians Celebrate Festivals: A Journey Through Culture, Colors, and Community

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One of the beautiful things about India is that it is always in the mood for celebrations. From grand, nationwide festivals to quiet, family gatherings, the Indian festival calendar is full and diverse. Growing up in a culturally rich country “India”; we all love decorating the house with lights, wearing colorful attire, feasting upon sweets that mark each special festival, and some unwanted mithai and some gatherings we hate. Each celebration has its personality while sharing common themes of joy, love, and togetherness.

Diwali - The Festival of Lights

One of the most widely and famously celebrated festivals in India is Diwali, popularly known as the Festival of Lights. It was fun when we would wait with bated breath for the evening when we could light diyas, or oil lamps, and set off fireworks. And now some of us the typical “corporate mazdoor” still take up Diwali as a holiday to get enough rest.

Apart from our sad story In Hindu mythology, this festival celebrates Lord Rama's return to his kingdom after a 14-year exile. So all the Houses are decorated with lights, rangoli, and flowers, all denoting the victory of light over darkness. The soul of Diwali is its preparations. The family cleans and decorates the place, buys new clothes, and prepares special sweets such as laddoos, barfis, and jalebis. In the evening of Diwali, we do a puja (prayer ceremony) to seek blessings for what we have. The most significant thing about Diwali is the enjoyment of gifting sweets to the neighbors and the sense of community it fosters.

Holi - The Festival of Colours

It is one of the world's craziest festivals because it is all about playing with colors and chaos everywhere. Known as the festival of colors, Holi represents a joyous abandon among people of all ages. We get together outdoors with powdered colors and sprinkle them on each other's faces and clothes in absolute laughter and frolic.

It begins with the ritualistic Holika Dahan of negativity but the thrill hits the next morning for all of us. And this is when the colors go rampant from buckets and buckets of colored water being thrown and balloons filled to bursting being hurled upon each other to faces smeared with pinks, greens, and yellows filling the day. Eventually, we all end up there, tired still, smiling too, looking forward to devouring traditional Holi delicacies such as gujiya and thandai. Holi is significant because it is a time for joy, community, and letting go of mundane worries.

Navratri and Durga Puja – Celebrating the Divine Feminine

The two festivals are Navratri and Durga Puja, both celebrating divine feminine energy, celebrated with full devotion all over India. These nine nights of Navratri are a period of dance, music, and fasting; each day is celebrated to honor a different attribute of Goddess Durga. I have always enjoyed watching the performances of Garba and Dandiya dances. From Tarak Mehta Ka Olta Chasma's ‘Garba’ to Deepika’s ‘Garba’ in Ramleela;  I have been a huge fan of it.  No offense but I don't know how to play.

Durga Puja in the eastern part of India is a spectacular affair. Once you have seen it in Kolkata, those grand pandals and exquisite idols of Goddess Durga will leave you spellbound. The whole city was agog with energy as families walked from one pandal to another, marveling at the artistry. I must address Odisha’s Old capital city, “Silver City Cuttack,” which celebrates Durga Puja insanely.

Eid – A Celebration of Faith and Feast

In India, families and friends come together enthusiastically on Eid to pray, give charity, and indulge in sumptuous feasts. More concretely, Eid-ul-Fitr is important since it marks the end of a month of fasting, introspection, and philanthropy. I recall going to my Muslim buddies' homes for Eid feasting, where we feasted on succulent biryani, kebabs, and the mouth-watering sheer khurma made out of milk, vermicelli, and dates.

The sense of community while observing Eid is very touching. Everyone comes to pray in the mosque, extends wishes of "Eid Mubarak," and shares food. This festival taught me the beauty of inclusiveness. People from diverse communities joined in making merry and spreading joy and goodwill.

Christmas – A Time for Cheer and Sharing

Although India is a predominantly Hindu nation, Christmas is widely celebrated with zest and vigor in places with many Christians. Coming from a diverse neighborhood, Christmas was always an occasion that would bring me friends to decorate a Christmas tree and give each other gifts. Midnight Mass is a moment of peace and oneness, with churches filled with carols and prayers.

Christmas in India is a mix of traditions. While families make traditional cakes, others add local flavors, such as coconut sweets and rose cookies. This time always reminds me of memories created by Christian friends' families sending homemade goodies during this time. Christmas always brings back feelings to India and reminds me of the joy of sharing and spreading love across communities.

Ganesh Chaturthi: In Celebration of the Remover of Obstacles

In the festival of Ganesh Chaturthi, we celebrate all types of enthusiasm in the Maharashtra region. In a 10-day fest, they bring Lord Ganesha into their homes. The lord of wisdom and initiation god, where some ritualism and prayers for the well-being of God are performed. Even as an adult now, I love watching the decorations, music, crowds of dhol-tashas, and all these people excitedly passing around the streets.

During Ganesh Chaturthi, crowds pour in, thronging pandals are large public installations created with different idols of Lord Ganesha, unique and artistically made. On the last day, these idols are immersed in water; this marks the return of Ganesha to his divine abode. This is a festival and an experience of collective joy and celebration that brings communities together in deep ways.

Pongal and Makar Sankranti - harvest festivals of regional flavors

Pongal and Makar Sankranti in January are harvest festivals to celebrate the sun's move into the zodiac sign of Capricorn. They are one of the big festivals of Tamil Nadu, celebrated for four days. Newly harvested crops like rice, sugarcane, and turmeric are offered to god. Pongal, a traditional sweet pudding of rice, is prepared in clay pots that are used only on this day.

Makar Sankranti is celebrated with different names across various states, such as Uttarayan in Gujarat, Lohri in Punjab, and Bhogali Bihu in Assam. My favorite memory of Makar Sankranti would be flying kites on the rooftops with friends, a popular tradition, especially in Gujarat. These harvest festivals reflect the gratitude that Indians have for the earth's bounty and show how regional diversity enriches the festival culture.

Onam, the harvest festival of Kerala, was again part of my experience with friends from that land. Onam commemorates the return of King Mahabali and is more of a festival of return, expressing gratitude for a fruitful harvest. Events, besides a fabulous floral rangoli known as Pookalam, include a sumptuous vegetarian Onam Sadhya, colorful festivities like Kathakali performances, and boat races.

Raksha Bandhan and Bhai Dooj- Sibling bond

Festivals such as Raksha Bandhan and Bhai Dooj symbolize the sacred love bond of siblings. Raksha Bandhan is when sisters apply a decorative thread called rakhi to the wrists of their brothers on their behalf for protection and love. The brothers shower them with gifts and take an oath to safeguard them. Bhai Dooj is when, within days of Diwali, sisters apply a tika, or vermilion mark, on their brothers' forehead and share sweets. Even at times when siblings are so aggressive in their rivalry, Raksha Bandhan and Bhai Dooj provide feelings of love and appreciation.

Conclusion

Indian celebrations of festivals represent the Indian spirit: joyful, inclusive, and very much tied to its roots. There is always an opportunity with each festival to come together, forget the everyday worries, and cherish moments with loved ones. Whether it's Holi's vibrant colors, Diwali's spiritual calm, or Eid's grand feasts, every festival has a place in India's diverse cultural mosaic.

These festivals have become something beyond traditions; they are more memories stitched together into a tapestry of love and togetherness. The festival has added richness to the understanding of my own culture and taught me the values of unity in diversity through Indian festivals. At the bottom, it is a celebration, for at its core, all of us unite in our passion for life and community while celebrating Indian festivals.