Festivals Observances and Milestones Diwali Festival of lights
Festivals, Observances, and Milestones
Diwali • Festival of lights • Celebration of the triumph of light and knowledge (Lakshmi and Vishnu) over darkness and ignorance (Naraka) • 5 days at the end of October or early November • Fireworks, decorate houses with lights, give gifts, and wear new clothes • Video
Holi • Festival of colours • Held in March (full moon of last month of Hindu calendar) • Prahalad was resented by his father for being pious. His aunt tried to burn him in a fire, but she was burned to ashes instead. • People celebrate by covering each other in bright colours
Milestones
Naming a Child • A child is traditionally named by a priest 10 days after birth. • For most Hindus, however, parents choose the name, but a symbolic naming ritual is still held
Thread Initiation (Upanayana) • Performed by boys of Brahmin, Kshatriya and Vaishya castes • Marks a boy’s transition into a student stage of life, when they will start to study religious texts • Takes place over two days • Boy wears a sacred thread over his left shoulder, and chants a mantra
Marriage • Enters bride and groom into a new stage of life, called grihasta • In India, arranged marriages are common, here less so. Even in a love match, parents will closely study the other family to make sure that the bride and groom are socially compatible • Marriage is considered a union of two families
Marriage continued • Ceremony lasts for about 3 hours • Performed by a priest and can be elaborate, consisting of about 15 rituals, ex: – Giving away of bride – Clasping of hands of couple – Giving of auspiciousness to bride (a necklace the bride wears for the rest of her life) – The couple taking seven steps around a sacred fire • Followed by a feast and celebration
Death • A priest guides the family as they bathe and dress the body in new clothing, leaving the face uncovered • Light and flowers are offered to the spirit of the deceased • Priest recites passages of scripture to sanctify a fire • Eldest son lights a funeral pyre, and the body is cremated. • Ashes are collected and scattered in the holy rivers of India or another body of water
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