Tag Archives: India Culture & Traditions Q&A

Holi Origin can be traced back to ancient times. It is believed that this festival of colors existed even before Christ. This Indian spring festival also known as Phagwa was celebrated by Aryans but was prominent in the Eastern part of India. There are many stories that are associated with the history of Holi and information about 2 of them …

Young Krishna is known to be very playful and mischievous. The story goes that as a child, Krishna was extremely jealous of Radha’s fair complexion since he himself was very dark. Holi Legend of Radha Krishna One day, Krishna complained to his mother Yashoda about the injustice of nature which made Radha so fair and he so dark. To pacify the …

Maha Shivratri, the night of the worship of Lord Shiva, occurs on the 14th night of the new moon during the dark half of the month of Phalguna (Feb / March) when Hindus offer special prayer to the lord of destruction. Reasons to celebrate Maha Shivaratri The absolute formless God, Sadashiv appeared in the form of “Lingodbhav Moorti” exactly at …

Maha Shivratri or Maha Sivaratri or Shivaratri or Sivarathri (Great Night of Shiva or Night of Shiva) is a festival celebrated every year on the 13th night / 14th day in the Krishna Paksha (waning moon) of the month of Maagha (as per Shalivahana or Gujarati Vikrama) or Phalguna (as per Vikrama) in the Hindu Calendar (that is, the night …

Lohri celebrates fertility and the joy of life, and in the event of the birth of a male child or a marriage in the family, it assumes a larger significance wherein the host family arranges for a feast and merry-making with the traditional bhangra dance along with rhythm instruments, like the dhol and the gidda. The first Lohri of a …

Seventy percent of India‘s population lives in villages, and a vast majority of people solely depend on agriculture. As a result, we find that most Hindu festivals are directly or indirectly linked to agriculture and related activities. Pongal is one such big festival, celebrated every year in mid January – mostly in the south of India and especially in Tamil …

The custom of sending Christmas cards started in the United Kingdom in 1843 by Sir Henry Cole. He was a civil servant (Government worker) who was very interested in the new ‘Public Post Office’ and wondered how it could be used more by ordinary people.Sir Henry had the idea of Christmas Cards and with his friend John Horsley, who was …

There are many different reasons why candles are associated with Christmas, although no one knows when they first became connected!They were used during ancient winter solstice celebrations a way of remembering that spring would soon come.One of the earliest records of candles being used at Christmas is from the middle ages where a large candle was used to represent the …

Diwali, also known as Deepavali, is an important celebration in Singapore. It serves to bring together all of the citizens, regardless of their religion. Originally a Hindu religious observance, Diwali is an important part of the culture in Singapore, celebrated by Muslims and Christians, as well. Celebrate Diwali in Singapore: Step 1: Determine the actual dates of this year’s Diwali …

Diwali, also called Deepavali, is a major Indian festival that is very significant in Hinduism, Sikhism, and Jainism. Known as the “Festival of Lights,” it symbolizes the victory of good over evil, and lamps are lit as a sign of celebration and hope for humankind. Celebrations focus on lights and lamps, particularly traditional dīpa or deeya (earthen lamp, as illustrated). …