Important Religious Festivals Around The World
A festival is usually an occasion usually celebrating a characteristic aspect of a community’s culture and religion or peoples and normally centering around that characteristic. It can also be commemorated as a national or local holiday, special mela, or religious occasion. There are several different types of festivals, depending on the region, people, or time period involved. They can be annual, monthly, seasonal, or even annual or religious in nature.
Hindu festivals Hindu religious celebrations usually mark a day with great excitement and activity with much dancing, feasting, and festivities. They are generally arranged to celebrate some important mythological or religious beliefs of the Hindu faith such as Diwali, Holi, Vaisakhi, Ganesh Chathurthi, and Durga Puja. The fire has been associated with these festivities since ancient times. Fire is thought to bring blessings, and is associated with strength, power, and victory. Fire is also believed to bring prosperity and abundance to the household in which it is burning.
Chinese festivals Chinese annual festivals are often very similar to those of Hindus. They are often commemorated with a big festival that features traditional Chinese activities, feasting, and fireworks. Spring Festival is one of the most celebrated festivals in China and features the entire country coming together to celebrate. The festival is focused on the return of the vegetables from the field, the planting of new crops, and decorating the house and especially the dragon cage, all part of the agricultural cycle.
Islamic celebration In many countries, a Friday celebration is followed by ‘Ogu Jama’ which is a gathering held for worship and prayer. This festival celebrates the end of Ramadan and the start of the fasting month of Ramadan. During the celebration, the faithful buy camels and do not eat or drink from dawn to dusk. They are then allowed to go to the mosque for the night prayers. Muslims around the world mark this event with different kinds of feasting and celebrations.
Buddhist festival In Buddhist countries, Buddha festivals are considered as holy days of their religion. They commemorate the fact that Buddha was born in the town of Magadh (Majnu ka Deto in India), and that he is the lord of all living beings existing in the world. People there observe the fourteenth day of the month Magadh and abstain from all food and drink. Another important festival in Buddhism is the Great Buddha Exhibition, during which tourists can view Buddha displays made from wood and stone.
Food festival In Asia, Thailand is famous for its five-day festival that falls in April. This is the Thailand’s national food festival and falls in the run up to the Buddhist New Year. Rice is served to all and any guest is known to drink fresh rice. The festival also involves music and dance and is celebrated with much ceremony. Many Asian cultures believe that the food in the five-day festival has medicinal powers and is therefore eaten with care and great care.