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According to the Chinese calendar, the Chinese New Year is celebrated on the second new moon following the beginning day of the Winter solstice. For the Gregorian calendar, the Chinese New Year is likely to be on a date between January 21 and February 20.

The New Year season continues for fifteen days. The celebrations are concluded with the colorful Lantern Festival.

Origin of the Festival

It is not clear when the beginning of the year was celebrated before the Qin Dynasty. Different theories suggest the beginning of Chinese New Year in different times. Some consider month 1 during the Xia Dynasty, whereas others take month 11 at the time of the Zhou Dynasty to be the beginning. However, in 104 B.C., Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty established the beginning of the year at month 1. The lunisolar Chinese calendar determines the dates of the Chinese New Year.

Celebrations during Chinese New Year

In China, people take weeks off from work and get ready for the New Year celebrations. People thoroughly clean their homes and it is strongly believed that cleaning sweeps away the bad luck of the previous year to bring in good luck. Some paint their doors and windows red. People visit friends and relatives, known as new-year visits and wear new clothes.

This is a great time for reunion dinners. The dinner of New Year s Eve includes delicious fish and chicken items. Most of the Northerners serve dumplings as the main dish because they symbolize ancient Chinese gold ingots. The fruit of the Chinese New Year are the popular mandarin oranges.

The color of the season is red as it resembles celebration and it is used predominantly in all the decorations. The married elders distribute red packets to children and juniors. The flowers used during this season are the peach blossoms, chrysanthemum and the narcissus.

Naming a Chinese New Year after an animal

Legend says that in the ancient age, Lord Buddha asked all the animals to come to him on Chinese New Year day. Twelve animals came and a year was named after each of them. It is believed that a person born in a particular animal year would have the personality of that animal.

Lantern Festival

The Chinese New Year celebrations end on the fifteenth day of the month. The lanterns are works of art and are painted with animal, flowers, zodiac signs, birds and scenes from history. The lanterns glow in temples and are also paraded under the full moon.

The most important and longest celebration in the Chinese calendar is the Chinese New Year. The activities of the Chinese New Year symbolize good fortune, prosperity and wealth.

Eid al Fitr begins at the end of the month of Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar. It marks the Breaking of the Fast at the end of Ramadan, the fasting month. With the ultimate end of fasting, Eid al Fitr is celebrated with great rejoicing among the Muslims. The first Eid al Fitr celebration dates back to AD 624 by the Prophet Muhammed with his companions after the victory at the Battle of Badr.

The marking of the particular day depends on the sighting of the moon which is possible only before the sunset takes place, though many choose to depend only on astronomical calculations. This often leads to the regional differences in denoting the exact date of Eid.

Celebrations on the big day

The dishes served at the banquets are elaborate. Friends and relatives are invited over for the feast. The celebrations depict the happiness after a long month of fasting and hardships. What follows is the fellow feeling among humankind.

When Eid al Fitr begins the people dress in fine clothes and decorate their homes. They visit friends and family and give treats to their children.

Charity and good deeds being an integral part of Islam, the people feed the poor and donate to the mosques.

The worldwide Muslim population of about 1.6 billion celebrates Eid al Fitr on the first day of the month of Shawwal which follows the month of Ramadan. The Muslim celebrations of Eid includes a prayer and a sermon right in the morning, followed by visits made to friends and families, feasting on elaborate meals and exchanging gifts and cards. Prior to the beginning of the Eid prayers, every Muslim must pay Zakat al Fitr, or alms for the month of Ramadan. You can donate any amount of alms but the most basic ones come in the form of 2 kilograms basic foodstuff mainly comprising heat, dates, raisins and barley. These alms are distributed among the local needy Muslims before the start of the prayers.

Eid implies recurring happiness. Eid al Fitr, the first Eid of the year is a day of thanksgiving and rejoicing. According to Islam, it is unholy to observe a fast on this day. It is a noted day for forgiving others and bearing no grudge against anyone. Greetings of Eid Mubarak are exchanged among the Muslims on this day.

It is popularly believed that the Koran was revealed at the time of this month. Muslims choose this day for showing their happiness for the strength and opportunities they have received from Allah to keep the long fast during the month of Ramadan.

Eid al Fitr begins with the fulfilling of obligations and resolving of disputes. It is one of the two most vital Islamic celebrations and a time of happiness and goodwill among all people.

Gantan Sai is the Shinto New Year Holiday. Shinto is an ancient Japanese religion and neither does it have a sacred scripture, nor does it have any founder. It does not have only one God but is deeply rooted in nature. At present, there are about 4 million followers of the Shinto religion around the world.

The Shinto Religion

The word Shinto refers to the way of the Gods . Being the native religion of Japan, Shinto was once its state religion. It involves the worship of the Shinto Gods or Kami . Kami are the pure spirits of Nature.

The four affirmations that the Shintos follow are:

• Love of Nature, when all natural objects are worshipped
• Tradition and Family, as the family preserves the traditions
• Matsuri, a festival honoring the spirits
• Physical Cleanliness, where they must keep clean

However, after the World War II, Shinto lost much of its prominence. It is interesting to note that in the Shinto religion, a waterfall or an irregularly shaped rock can be a kami . The kami though divine are very close to humanity. They, like us, live in the same world, make the same mistakes and feel and think in the same way as us. Shinto followers or even people from other religions are considered as kami after their death.

Some modern scholars profess that Shinto should be actually referred to as kami worship . Early ceremonies were conducted before rocks or corpses, which formed the altar. There was no idol or representation of the kami , as they were regarded to be formless and pure. Shrines were built for the kami only after the arrival of Buddhism.

The Shinto rituals of kami worship have been taken from the Chinese Taoism and Confucianism. Gradually, the syncretism between Shinto and Buddhism went on to become the main feature of the Japanese religion.

Observation of the Gantan Sai

On this New Year s Day, the Shintos visit the shrines, mostly at midnight. They pray for the renewal of their heart, prosperity and health in the year to come. The Japanese celebrate the 7 day holiday by making visits to their friends and family to express their good wishes for the year to come. They also wear their finest clothes on this day.

The Shinto New Year s Day, Gantan Sai is also known as Shogatu.

The celebration of the Indian festival, Navratri or the nine nights goes on for nine days.
The nine-day long festival starts on the first day of Ashwina (the bright fortnight). It usually occurs in October.

The nine Goddesses worshipped during the nine days are Durga, Bhairavi, Amba, Bhadrakali, Sarvamangala, Bhavani, Lalita, Chandika and Annapurna.

Significance Of Navaratri

The first day of Navratri witnesses the sowing of barley seeds into a small mud bed. Three days are each devoted to the worship of Maa Durga (the Goddess of Valor), Maa Saraswati (the Goddess of Knowledge) and Maa Lakshmi (the Goddess of Wealth). A yagna (holy fire) is performed on the 8th day.

The celebration culminates in Mahanavami, when the Kanya Puja is performed. This day witnesses the worship of nine young girls depicting the nine forms of Goddess Durga. Each of the nine forms of Durga creates the part of a new creation on each of the nine days of Navaratri.

Celebration During Navaratri

During Navratri, the Gujaratis are engaged in traditional dances like the Dandiya-Raas and Garba.

The women dance in a circle and sing the traditional songs or Garba. The Dandiya Raas is played with dandiyas or wooden sticks. Many cultural societies, youth social groups and housing committees play the dandiya and garba. For this, adorned mandaps are set up. Garbas are also performed at Mumbai. Navratri is the largest Hindu festival of Nepal.

There is color all around during Navratri. Certain parts of India perform the Ram-Leela , which is a stage play of Ramayana (the saga of Lord Rama) during the festival.

The tenth day that falls after the nine-day celebrations is the Vijaya Dashami , the victory day over all evil. It is believed by the Hindus that Lord Rama killed Ravana, the demon on Dassera. This day is marked with the burning of the effigies of Ravana all through India.

There are devotees who observe fasts on Navratri. Prayers are also offered for the protection of property and health. This entire festive period is a time for purification and introspection. This can be an auspicious time for beginning new ventures. The festival generates happiness to all. Navratri is an exciting festival for the youth and is full of devotion for the old.

Eid Al Adha or the Festival of Sacrifice is celebrated by Muslims all over the world at the end of the Hajj, which is an annual pilgrimage to Mecca. Eid-al Adha is the festival when Muslims at the time of Hajj, commemorate the triumphs and trials of Prophet Abraham.

Main Trial of Prophet Abraham

One among the main trials of Abraham was facing Allah s command to kill his only son. Abraham decided to kill his son in obedience to Allah. When Abraham was on the verge of carrying out Allah s orders, Allah let him know that his sacrifice had been fulfilled. Overwhelmed by Abraham s devotion, Allah replaced Abraham s son with a sheep at the last moment. Abraham had proved that his love for Allah was great and he could even sacrifice his life or that of his dear one (son) for submitting to the Almighty.

The Sacrifice of Animals

On Eid Al Adha, Muslims slaughter animals in an attempt to remind themselves the trials of Abraham. The animal slaughtered can be a camel, goat or sheep. However, this activity is often not acceptable to the non-Muslims.

When slaughtering animal, followers of Islam take the name of Allah to remind them that life is sacred. After sacrificing an animal on Eid al-Adha, the meat is given away to the friends, the poor and eaten with relatives and family.

The significance of the act reveals one s willingness to submit things that are close to themselves or are of benefit. It also resembles the giving up of a portion of your bounty to help the needy and to strengthen friendship bonds. Muslims believe that Allah desires only the willing obedience, strength of heart and purity of faith from them.

The Observance

Other than sacrificing an animal, Muslims universally attend the morning prayers at the local mosques on the first Eid Al Adha morning. After praying, the Muslims visit their friends and families amidst exchange of gifts and greetings. The meat from the sacrificed animal is distributed in the holiday or soon thereafter.

The Traditions

Eid ul-Adha witnesses children, men and women dressed in fine clothes. The animal to be sacrificed has to meet the criteria of age as well as a standard quality. There are regular charitable practices in order to ensure that no poor follower of Islam goes without the sacrificial food during these days. The celebration comes to an end with the Day of Mount Arafat.

Date of Eid ul-Adha

The date of Eid ul-Adha in the Gregorian calendar keeps changing, as it is a solar calendar. The Lunar calendar appears to be about 10 days shorter than the solar calendar. According to the Islamic calendar (lunar), Eid Al Adha falls on the same day always.

Guru Tegh Bahadur martyrdom is observed by the Sikh community by organizing processions, singing hymns in Gurudwaras (Sikh Temples) and organizing sermons, kirtans (religious hymns) and lectures. It falls during the months of November or December.

The Life of Guru Tegh Bahadur

Guru Tegh Bahadur embraced death to save humanity from the tyranny of Aurangzeb – the Mughal emperor. Teg Bahadur, which means master of the sword , was undoubtedly the master of the spiritual sword. He was the ninth of the Ten Gurus of Sikhism.

Guru Tegh Bahadur was the youngest of five sons of Guru Har Gobind, sixth guru of Sikhs. He was born at Amritsar in Punjab, India on 1st April 1621 and became Guru on March 20th,1675. Guru Gobind fought for the cause of religious freedom.

It is said that when he was born, his father Guru Har Gobind asked priests Baba ji and Baba Gurudas to bless the child. They bowed to the child and touched his feet. Perplexed by the action of priests one of the followers, tried to know the mystery. Guru Gobind, explained, this child was sent for a great mission who would sacrifice his life for the cause of humanity.

His father used to wear two swords: Mini (political sovereignty) and Piri (Spiritual- sovereignty). When his father first took him in his hand, he caught Piri, truly echoing his father s statement.

Guru Tegh Bahadur scripted three steps to detach oneself from the worldly attachment (Maya)

• Naam mediate on God s name (Wahe Guru)
• Daan to share one s earnings
• Isnaan to take a bath before morning prayers

Aurangzeb forcibly converted many Hindus into Muslims and adopted zero tolerance policy against Hindus. Guru Tegh Bahadur could not tolerate this and stood for the cause of religious freedom. He saved Kashmiri pandits from Aurangzeb terror.

He was asked by Aurangzeb to convert to Islam or face death. The man, who fought for the cause, kissed death and was beheaded in 1675 in Delhi. The site of his execution was turned later into Gurudwara Sis Ganj Sahib in Chadni Chowk. Lakhi Shah Vanjara, his follower burnt his own house to cremate his Guru s body, which is now known as Gurudwara Rakab Ganj Sahib, Delhi. Guru Tegh Bahadur Martyrdom is a heart breaking instance of religious tolerance and equality.

Guru Tegh Bahadur became the Guru on March 20, 1665 following the footsteps of his grand nephew. He adorned the sacred throne of Guru Nanak Sahib from1664 to1675 and composed one hundred and fifteen hymns. He also wrote poetry, which is included in Guru Granth Sahib.

He traveled several places of pilgrimage like Allahbad, Varanasi, Gaya and Jagganath Puri and others. He inspired his followers to derive strength from truth, worship, sacrifice and knowledge. He taught the essence of freedom from attachment fear and discipline. He founded the city of Anandpur, which became a center of Sikhism.

Before his death he appointed his son Gobind Rai, who later came to be known as Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Guru of Sikh. Guru Tegh Bahadur martyrdom epitomized the values he preached.

Guru Nanak Dev Sahib birthday is celebrated by Sikhs on 15th Kartik Puranmashi (full moon day of the Kartik month). The founder and first Nanak of Sikhism, Guru Nanak Dev Sahib was born on April 15, 1469.

About Guru Nanak

Mehta Kalyan Das was Guru Nanak s father and he was the Chief Accountant and agent of Rai Bular. Guru Nanak s mother, Mata Tripta was a very pious and simple woman. Nanak s elder sister Nanki, always appreciated him.

Right from childhood, Nanak was extra-ordinary. He had the gift of a meditative mind and rational thinking. He acquired the knowledge of Hindi and Sanskrit at the young age of seven. By the age of 16, Nanak became the best-learned youth in his region. He married Mata Sulakhni ji and had two sons, Lakshmi Das and Sri Chand.

Nanak s service to Humanity

In August 1507 and at the age of 38, Nanak received a calling from God to serve humanity, after bathing in Vain Nadi (near Sultanpur Lodhi). He realized that there is no Hindu and no Muslim .

He then made long travels to preach his divine doctrine of Sikhism. His four long tours covered various religious destinations in India and abroad and are known as the Char Udasis of Guru Nanak. The places he visited for preaching included Haridwar, Gaya, Prayag, Varanasi, Dhubri, Patna, Puri, Dacca, Mathura, Ujjain, Lahore, Bilaspur, Kargil, Tibet, Ladakh, Ceylon, Turkey, Kabul and many other religious places.

The Muslim holy places he visited include Mecca, Medina, Son Miani, Peshawar Sakhar, Baghdad and more. Guru Nanak appointed committed followers and made the people conceive the basic tenets of Sikhism. He successfully sowed the seeds across India and abroad.

When Babar attacked India in 1520, numerous innocent people were killed and children and women were captured. Guru Nanak disapproved of this act vehemently and was arrested. Gradually, Babar realized the heinous deed committed by him and released Nanak along with the other prisoners. Before his death in 1539, Guru Nanak established the Second Nanak Bhai Lehna ji (Guru Angad Sahib).

Guru Nanak upheld the cause of the poor, downtrodden and the women. He attacked both the theocracy of the Muslims and the Hindu caste system. He was also a good poet and a musician. He wrote many hymns and composed a lot of tunes.

Nanak s Preaching

During his lifetime, Guru Nanak abandoned the path of renunciation (Tyaga). He also rejected the Hindu caste system and the authority of the Vedas. He led a simple life, free from the gross materialism. The basic concepts of Sikhism installed by Nanak are the services of mankind Sewa, Satsang, Kirtan and Faith in the One and Only God.

Nanak had a new vision of God as universal, supreme, truthful and all powerful. He preached that God is all knowing, infinite, all-giver, omnipotent and true.

Celebration

Guru Nanak Dev Sahib birthday like all the birthdays of the 10 Sikh gurus is called a Gurpurab . Sikhs pray and celebrate on the Gurpurabs. The celebration for the gurpurabs continues for three days. Usually, two days prior to the birthday, the Akhand Path or the forty-eight hour non-stop reading session of the holy book, Guru Granth Sahib is held in the Gurdwaras.

A day before the Guru Nanak Dev Sahib birthday the Panj Pyaras or the five beloved ones organize a procession. Carrying the Sikh flag, they head the procession. The procession includes the singing of hymns and the playing of different tunes by the brass bands. Swordsmanship is also displayed.

After the morning hymns and the exposition of the scripture on the Gurpurab day, the Sikhs enjoy a community lunch arranged by the Gurdwaras. This activity symbolizes the offering of food for bhakti (devotion) and seva (service).

The celebrations are the best in Punjab and Haryana. The Guru Nanak Dev Sahib birthday or the Guru Nanak Jayanti is celebrated by the Sikhs all through the world.

The Hindi New Year is a by-product of the cultural diversity of India that is also reflected on the different calendars of the country. The calendars being used for the religious festivals include different calendars from Buddhists, Jains and Hindus. The Muslims follow the Islamic calendar, but the government mostly uses the Gregorian calendar for administrative purposes.

There was a huge confusion over the different calendars in use, but the government decided to put a stop to it in 1957.

The National calendar of India

The Calendar Reform Committee set up India s present day national calendar in 1957. It is a lunisolar calendar, which has leap years coinciding with the leap years of the Gregorian calendar. The months in the calendar have been named after the conventional Indian months. This calendar came into being with the Saka Era in Chaitra 1, 1879 (March 22, 1957).

Significance of the Saka Era

The original period for the Indian civil calendar is the Saka Era. The Saka Era is a traditional epoch of the Indian chronology, which began with the ascension of King Salivahana to the throne. The era is also important for the most number of astronomical works in Sanskrit literature (post 500 A.D.).

The Hindu calendar or the Panchang

The Panchang is the Hindu calendar and is auspicious to the Hindus in calculating the festival dates and for performing the rituals. Originally based on the moon movements, the Hindu calendar was inspired by the Greek and Babylonian astronomical ideas. This made both lunar and solar movements considerable in the calculation of dates.

The Hindu calendar has 12 months in a lunar year. A lunar month will be having two fortnights and would begin with the new moon or the amavasya .

The Indian National Calendar has regional variations in spite of being the official calendar for Hindus. Thus, there are a series of Hindi New Year celebrations in different regions of India.

The New Years all over India

In Nepal, the Hindus celebrate New Year on the third week of March. The Hindu Kashmiris have their New Year in the second week of March. However, the Hindus of the south Indian states of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka celebrate the New Year in late March or early April.

For the Bengalis, the New Year falls around mid-April. It is the Poila Baishakh. It is a state holiday in West Bengal and a national holiday for Bangladesh.

The New Year Celebrations

The Hindi New Year celebrations include the cleaning of the houses and the buying of new clothes. In certain parts of India, the New Year celebrations include the making of the rangoli designs. The people visit the houses of friends and relatives for exchanging greetings, gifts and sweets.

So, the Hindi New Year arising from the Indian National Calendar is quite complex, due to the regional differences that are created in the New Year dates.

Though, Maha Shivaratri is celebrated all over India, it is the most popular in central, eastern and northern India. The name of this Hindu festival means the night of Shiva. Maha Shivaratri is celebrated on the 13th or 14th day of the dark half in the month of Phalgun in the Hindu calendar. The ceremonies of Maha Shivratri usually occur at night.

This festival takes place in the honor of Lord Shiva. It is more of a celebration to mark the marriage of Goddess Parvati to Lord Shiva. The night also recalls the night when the Tandav (the dance of destruction) was performed by Lord Shiva. In Andhra Pradesh, devotees of Lord Shiva swarm the Sri Kalahasteshwara Temple at Kalahasti. They also gather at the Bharamarambha Malikarjunaswamy Temple at Srisailam.

About Lord Shiva

The Hindu Trinity comprises of the Creator – Lord Brahma, the Preserver Lord Vishnu and the Destroyer and Re-producer of life Lord Shiva. Lord Shiva is also known by names like Bholenath, Shankar, Mahesh, Umanath, Nataraj and other names. For some devotees Shiva is the Absolute and for others he is the Lord of Yoga. For the Hindus, he is the most sought-after deity, when it comes to the granting of wishes.

To make mankind aware of the presence of Eternal Time, Lord Shiva manifested himself as Lingam on the fourth day of the dark night of Magha (month of February-March).

The Legend of King Chitrabhanu

King Chitrabhanu was a hunter in his previous birth. He made a living by killing and selling birds and animals. One night, he was trapped in the forest and was unable to return home. He climbed a bael tree and hung the dead deer he had killed that day onto the tree. He was hungry and thirsty, and at the same time weeping for his wife and children at home who were also starving and waiting for his return. In order to pass the time, he started plucking the bael leaves and dropping them on the ground.

He returned home the next day. He sold the deer and brought food for his family. As he was going to break his fast, he realized that a beggar had come begging for food. He served the food to the stranger and then started having his food.

During his death, two messengers of Shiva came to take his soul to the abode of Lord Shiva. For the first time, he understood that he had earned the merit due to his unconscious worship of the Lord Shiva at the night of the Maha Shivaratri. He got to know that the leaves he dropped fell on the lingam and his tears washed the lingam. He unconsciously fasted all that day and night. This led to his unconscious worship of the Lord.

The King enjoyed the divine bliss at the Abode of the Lord for many ages and was reborn as Chitrabhanu.

The Celebration of Maha Shivratri

The devotees of Lord Shiva observe a fast on this day. The Shiva Lingam is worshipped by washing it with milk, curd, rosewater and honey all through the night. The chant of the mantra, Om Namah Shivaya also continues the entire night.

Offerings of bael leaves to the lingam are considered to be sacred as it is believed that the Goddess Lakshmi resides in them.

Hymns praising Lord Shiva are sung with great devotion and enthusiasm. It is a popular belief that whoever utters the name of Lord Shiva at Maha Shivaratri with devotion will be freed from his sins.

The Makar Sankranti is a famous festival of the Hindus and the Nepalese. It is celebrated in mid-winter and marks the transition of the sun from the Sagittarius to Capricorn during the winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere. Every twelve years the popular Kumbh Mela is held during Makar Sankranti where people from all over the country flock, to dedicate pujas in the banks of the River Ganges.

During the time of Uttarayan , it is said that father Sun visits the house of his son and this time marks the strong bonding between the father and son. It is also said that during this time Lord Vishnu slayed terrorism of the Ashuras and Bhagirath offered Tarpan (praying for the forefathers) to Ganga to liberate his ancestors from the curse. The basic representation is simple, that even if we are severed from the roots but with the passing of time we soon get back to the good elements, which are present in us.

The main rituals of Makar Sankranti are that people taking dip in the Ganges or any other river to wash off their sins and attain punya (freeing oneself from sins). They also offer tarpan for their ancestors. But before performing all these rituals it is necessary to pray early in the morning, before sunrise. The farmers also dedicate special pujas as a mark of thanks giving for good harvest.

When does the Festival Start?

Unlike the other festivals, which are based on the lunar calendar, the Hindus celebrate the Makar Sankranti based on the solar calendar. The festival shows the sun s sojourn to the northern hemisphere. Usually the first six months of the year shares long days but short nights, whereas the next six months share short days and long nights. The first period is known as the Uttarayan, which means north, that is, the sun moves north from the center of the sky. The second period is famously known as the Dakshinaayaria, which means south, that is, the sun moves southwards during this time. The celebration of the Makar Sankranti starts on the first day of Uttarayan.

The Celebrations

The food prepared during Makar Sankranti enables to keep the body warm and produce energy. Since the puja is undertaken during the winter times therefore the food is really helpful. The state of Andhra Pradesh in Southern India celebrates the festival with much pomp and vigor for three consecutive days.

In West Bengal, Makar Sankranti is popularly known as the Gangasagar Mela . People flock at the banks of the river Ganges and take dip to attain punya . In Gujarat the festival is celebrated by flying kites in the sky. In Maharashtra, people exchange Tilachir Ladoo, which actually tastes very sweet. The women wear a kind of black sari, which is known as the Chandrakala.

The Punjabis commemorate the occasion by lighting a bonfire and throwing rice, sweets and sugarcane. The next day they celebrate Maghi in which they perform the Bhangra dance. The Assamese celebrate Bhogali Bihu during this time. In Northern part of India, the Kumbh Mela (the largest fair in the world) is held at the confluence of Yamuna, Ganges and Saraswati Rivers. In Kerala, the people celebrate Pongal in which a cow or bathe, then a tilak is put on it and beads and ornaments are put round the horns and the neck. Thus, the Makar Sankranti is celebrated with much dedication and faith all over India.