Holi: Celebration of Harmony

The Indian populace is can be distinguished by many factors – caste, region, social and economic statuses are only few of them. As a result, most of the Indian festivals have a specific reach, restricted to a region or two.

Though Holi is mainly a Hindu festival it has earned a mass appeal as it is celebrated on a single day across the length and breadth of the country and the entire Hindu community, as well as the other communities too come together to celebrate it. Holi is celebrated to spread the messages of harmony, unity and fraternity.

The underlying message of Holi is to forget and forgive rivalry and enmity and to embrace everyone with open arms.

Historical Significance of Holi

Mentions of the celebration can be found in several texts that are held sacred by Hindus. Most popularly it is associated with Lord Krishna. According to popular Hindu beliefs, the celebration of Holi on the onset of spring was introduced by Bhagawan Krishna who engaged the people of Braj to play with colored powder and water on the full moon day of Phalguna.

Another tale of Holi associates it with the burning of ‘Holika’, the sister of the demon king Hiranyakashipu. According to the popular legend, the king in order to kill his Prahlada, a devotee of Lord Vishnu, asked his sister to sit in a burning pyre with Prahlada on her lap. Holika had the blessing that no fire could ever burn her.

But things went wrong and it was Holika who got burned in the pyre and with the blessings of Vishnu, Prahlada emerged unharmed. Since then a pyre is made and burnt on the day before the celebration of Holi to signify burning of evil and welcoming good. The ritual is called ‘Holika Dahan’.

In South India the celebration is known as ‘Kama Dahanam’ to commemorate the burning of Kamdeva, God of love, by Lord Shiva. He was later restored by the Lord on request of Rati, the wife of Kamdeva.

Economic and social significance of Holi

Apart from being a religious festival Holi also has strong economic and social significances. Holi is celebrated to mark the ending of the winter season and the onset of spring. Since India is a predominantly agrarian economy, the onset of spring also means the beginning of the harvest season.

Holi is one of the oldest festivals of India. According to some sources, the word Holi was derived from ‘Hola’ which means offering oblation and prayer to the God. Devotees visit temples and show their gratitude to the deity for good harvest and pray for prosperity in the years to come.

The modern day celebration of Holi can be traced back to ancient Bengal. It was one of the major Gaudiya Vaishnav festivals as mentioned in the Vaishnaviya Tantra.

On this day people visit the Krishna temple and smear the idol with red abir (colored powder) as the color signifies good fortune, passion and desire. The celebration was popularized by the Vaishnavs to bring together the Hindu community which is otherwise divided by the caste system.

In that way Holi has been playing a great role in unifying the Hindu community of India. Everyone, irrespective of his social and economical status or religious orientation, participates in this magnanimous celebration of color.

Send colourful Holi cards to your friends and relatives.

International Women’s Day

International Women’s Day (IWD), celebrated every year on 8^th March, is dedicated to celebrate womanhood in every form. The day recognizes and appreciates the worldwide social, political and economical achievements of women.

The observance started as International Working Women’s Day to appreciate the political achievements of women and was particularly celebrated in countries like Russia and other countries of the Soviet Block. But the political significance of the day since then has mellowed down and now it is a day to show affection to the woman of your life.

History of IWD

IWD has great significances in shaping the history of mankind and paving the road for women empowerment. The celebration dates back to 1910 when the day was given international recognition. However, the socialist women of the US started celebrating the day in 1908 itself.

To start with, the day was dedicated to review the social progress made by women and anticipating the future issues.

With the turn of the 20^th century, an increasing number of women started entering the workforce but initially their advancements were restricted only to areas like textile, domestic helps and manufacturing where the working conditions were derogatory for women and pay was not exactly at par with the industry standard.

These conditions caused lot of frustration among the women workers and disputes broke out in many industrially developed countries, like the US, Europe, Britain and to some extent in Australia. Demonstrations and protests started to take place and women from different strata of the society took part in them. Some of the major focuses of the movement were on achieving:

• Voting rights for women

• Property rights for women

• Economic and political welfare

• Rights of working class women

• Limiting night sifts

• Introduction of maternity benefits

Timeline of IWD

• In the year 1908 a large demonstration took place in the United States with demands of voting, political and economical rights for women.

• In 1909, the Socialist Party of the US observed the day as National Women’s Day (NWD) across the country. For the first time in history, women garment workers went on a strike in the US.

• In 1910, the second international summit of working women took place in Copenhagen and the day became internationally recognized and celebrated. Around 100 delegates participated in the event from 17 countries. Clara Zetkin, the Leader of the 'Women's Office' for the Social Democratic Party in Germany proposed the idea of an International Women’s Day.

Some of the prominent leaders associated with the movement were:

• Lena Lewis, the U S

• Clara Zetkin, Germany

• Alexandra Kollontai, Russia

• Sylvia Pankhurst, Britain

Although modern women have come a long way, there are still miles to go and so, the Women’s Day is still important in a global social context. We can here quote Lena Lewis who said “it was not a time for celebrating anything, but rather a day for anticipating all the struggles to come when we may eventually and forever stamp out the last vestige of male egotism and his desire to dominate over women". Celebrate Women’s Day and show love and respect to the women in your life and ones around you.

Send International Women's Day cards to all the wonderful women who are a part of your life and make them feel special.

Mahashivratri

Mahashivratri is the day to offer prayers to Lord Shiva. It is a popular religious event in India and the devotees of Lord Shiva keep a day long fast for their God before worshipping him in the evening. It is therefore also called the night of Shiva. Temples get crowded and men and women queue up for their chances to offer puja to the Shiva Lingam. As per the Hindu calendar, the day may fall between the months of February and March of Gregorian calendar.

Celebration of Mahashivratri

While many of the Hindu festivals are observed during the daytime, celebration of Mahashivratri continues during the day as well as the night.

In the morning, devotees take a bath in the holy river of Ganga and don new clothes. They will then visit the temple to offer the ritual bath of milk, honey, water and ghee to Lord Shiva. Pujas and aartis are then performed and hymns are sung in order to praise Lord Shiva.

Though both men and women can keep fast on Mahashivratri, it is mostly popular with women. Shiva is considered to be an ideal husband and unmarried women keep fast to pray for a future husband like Shiva. On the other hand, married women observe the event to pray for the wellbeing of their husbands.

Jaagran or a nightlong vigil is observed at homes and temples and hymns and devotional songs are sung. In the morning, the devotees break their fasts after distributing the offerings (prasad) from the last night’s puja.

Legends associated with Mahashivratri

In Hindu religion, Mahashivratri has great significance. According to many references, Lord Shiva got married to Sati, the divine mother, on this particular day. According to the Hindu scripture, Mahashivratri falls on the 14^th day of the new moon cycle of Phalgun. It is also believed that on this day Lord Shiva manifested the form of lingam first.

Worshipping Lord Shiva on this day is said to please the Lord most and as a result, he will bestow eternal bliss and prosperity upon his devotees. Keeping fast and worshipping the deity on Shivratri are said to purify one’s soul and pave the road for nirvana. It will wash off all his sins and will liberate the soul from the cycle of birth and death

Send Maha Shivratri cards to your friends and relatives.

Valentine's Day

February is the month to celebrate love because 14^th February is the Valentine’s Day. On this day, lovers around the world celebrate the wonderful relations of love and companionship. It is celebrated with great festivity, and fun. Couples go for gifts like sweets, flowers, greeting cards, candies as tokens of love and Valentine’s Day themed nights, parties and fun competitions are organized everywhere. Common symbols of Valentine’s Day are hearts (preferably red painted), doves, roses, chocolates, and cupids.

Evolution of the day of love

According to the popular belief the day commemorates the day of martyrdom of St. Valentine, one of the earliest martyrs of Christianity. The celebration of the day was started by Pope Gelasius I during 496 AD. The event was first associated with romantic love by Geoffrey Chaucer during middle age period.

Although there were more than one Saint Valentine during the early ages the closest association was found with Valentine of Rome in AD 269. He was a Christian priest and his remains were buried in Via Flaminia. However, the earliest Valentine day celebrations weren’t associated with romantic relations between couples.

The concept of romantic valentine flourished when courtly love became a part of medieval lifestyle. During this period lots of mention of Valentine’s Day can be found in poems and letters.

Modern day celebration

Nowadays Valentine’s Day gives a great opportunity for business as it has become almost customary to gift your beloved on this day. Many take the opportunity to express their love for the first time or make their marriage proposals on this day. Although it is not an official holiday couples can be found enjoying moments of togetherness in parks, restaurants and other places. Some celebrate the day by escaping to romantic gateways. Shops are decorated with hearts and balloons and a great display of gifts and chocolates are arranged to attract love-struck couples.

Send Happy Valentine's Day cards and express your love.

Eid-e-Milad-un-Nabi

Eid-e-Milad-un-Nabi is an important religious festival for the Muslim communities across the world. It is the day to celebrate the birth of the Prophet Muhammad. According to historical accounts, the Prophet was born on Rabi' al-awwal, which is the third month of the Islamic lunar calendar. In 2012, the event is expected to be observed on 5^th February in the region of Pakistan and India.

Eid-e-Milad-un-Nabi Celebrations

This is an event full of fun and festivity. Street processions and special events to discuss the teaching of the prophet are organized in several neighborhoods.

The festival is celebrated with great fervor in different Islamic as well as non-Islamic countries. In many nations, it is also a national holiday and public offices and educational institutes remain closed on this day.

Saudi Arabia is the only Islamic nation where it is not a holiday on Milad. But, except that, Mawlid is celebrated worldwide in countries like Pakistan, Egypt, Syria, Sudan, the Islamic nations in Africa and Asia and other countries like UK, India, Kenya, Canada, etc.

In Pakistan, the national flag is hoisted on the day of Mawlid and salutes of 31 guns are fired in the dawn. One of the biggest celebrations in India takes place in Jammu and Kashmir and Shab-khawani, a night long prayer is organized in Hazratbal Shrine outside Srinagar.

On this day, mosques and neighborhoods are decorated with festoons, flags, lights, etc. Milad Mehfils, Mehfal-e-Naat, and Qawalis are organized in many places to commemorate the day. Donations are made and families gather together to share meals. However, since the day also commemorates the death of the Prophet the festival is celebrated in a limited and restricted way.

Send Eid-e-Milad-un-Nabi cards to your friends and relatives.

Australia Day

The Australia Day is celebrated on 26th of January every year. Australian of the Year Awards are given out to notable Australians in different domains on this day.

Australia Day

January 26 is the national day of Australia. On this day Australians celebrate the first arrival of settlers to the country. In 1788 a fleet of 11 ships carrying the first generation settlers arrived at Sydney Cove in Australia. The captain of the ship Arthur Phillip named the region where they landed and its surroundings Sydney after the name of the then British Home Secretary Lord Sydney.

This was done as it was Sydney’s idea to establish this new colony in the new and unexplored continent. The Australia Day was first celebrated as the Foundation Day. The first official celebration of the event took place in 1818 with the establishment of the new state of New South Wales.

Today the Australia Day is a national holiday in every state of the country. The celebration of the day begins with public addresses from the Governor-General and the Prime Minister. The Australian of the Year award and the Order of Australia lists are announced on the eve of the celebration.

The Invasion Day

Australia Day however isn’t an event of celebration for all. Some of the indigenous tribes of the country observe this day as Invasion Day. They consider the British settlers as foreigners and look at the entire episode as an invasion of their land. Demonstration and protests take place in many venues across the country on this day.

In 1988 the aborigines of the country demonstrated against the establishment on issues like recognition, basic needs, rights over land etc. Since then Invasion Day protests have been taking place almost regularly.

Attractions of Australia Day

Community festivals, fairs, sports events, community barbeques, live music concerts, boat races, and firework shows are some of the attractions of the Australia Day. The National Australia Day Council is responsible for organizing the celebrations.

The Big Day Out, the Triple J Hottest 100, and the Australia Day Live Concert are some of the music concerts on the Australia Day that get telecast nationwide. Organizing international cricket matches in Adelaide Oval is also a part of the commemoration. Swimming competitions and boat races are organized in Sydney harbor.


Send Australia Day cards to your friends and relatives.

Chinese New Year Tradition !!!!!!!!!

Chinese Culture is rich in its culture and traditions . They have their own beliefs and New Year traditions , which they follow ardently. Although the Chinese New Year , Nian, lasts only two or three days including the Chinese New Year's Eve, the Chinese New Year season extends from the mid-twelfth month of the previous year to the middle of the first month of the new year. A month from the onset of the Chinese New Year, it is supposed to be a good time for business. People will pour out their money to buy presents, decoration material, food and clothing.

It is the Chinese New Year tradition that every family gives its house a thorough cleaning, hoping to sweep away all the ill-fortune there may have been in the family to make way for the wishful in-coming good luck. People also give their doors and window-panes a new paint, usually in red color. They decorate the doors and windows with paper-cuts and couplets with the very popular theme of "happiness", "wealth", "logevity" and "satisfactory marriage with more children". Paintings of the same theme are put up in the house on top of the newly mounted wallpaper. In the old days, it was a Chinese New year tradition to distribute various kinds of food at the alta of ancestors

Send Chinese New Year Cards to your friends and Family!!!