India is a land of festivals and fairs.Every festival has some or the other traditional or religious importance.Every day of the year there is a festival celebrated in some part of the country. Some festivals welcome the seasons of the year, the harvest, the rains, or the full moon. Others celebrate religious occasions, the birthdays of divine beings, Saints, and gurus (the revered teachers), or the advent of the new year. A number of these festivals are common to most parts of India, however, they may be called by different names in the various parts of the country or may be celebrated in a different fashion.Every festival is celebrated in a unique style.
December 25th is the day of celebration and of fun and frolic. As the long awaited winter holidays arrive, Christmas spirit builds up. The lovely snowflakes, our dear Santa, decorated homes complete with whole range of Christmas star, mistletoe, the good-luck plant, ivy, laurels and not the least the beautifully decorated and illuminated Christmas tree are some of the inseparable parts of the picture. The soft music of the Christmas carols and children eager to open their gifts certainly lend unique warmth to the coldest day of the year.
The birth of Christ is perhaps the most popular festival around the world. The dark night sky, the chilly winters all just provide the perfect backdrop for the reigning red and green colors that cheer up the entire scenery. People visit their families and arrange some of the most lavish parties. The most awaited festival, the Christmas signifies love and kindness, joy and happiness.
Christmas is celebrated on a grand-scale all over the world. Christians and even the non-Christian community participate with great enthusiasm in the various festivities associated with it.
Markets, homes and churches take on a festive air. There is lot of activity all around. So much enthusiasm is witnessed everywhere that people get high on the spirit of the festival. Balls, elaborately decorated Christmas trees, delicious cakes and Santa Claus moving in the streets distributing goodies to the children are the main attractions of the festival.
People visit friends and relatives on the day and participate in the masses held in churches. Children particularly enjoy the festival as they receive gifts from their favourite Santa and elders. They also love decorating scenes of Nativity in their houses.
Christian Festivals Easter:
Easter Sunday commemorates the resurrection of Jesus Christ and is celebrated on the third day after Good Friday. It is one of the most important Christian festivals and is celebrated with great joy and enthusiasm. Easter is a Christian holiday celebrated to commemorate the resurrection of Jesus Christ from his death three days after he was crucified and tortured on Good Friday. It falls in springtime and marks the end of the Lent season.
The date of Easter changes each year and several other Christian festivals fix their dates by reference to Easter. There are many symbols associated with Easter- such as eggs , rabbits, chicks and lilies.
Christian Festivals Good Friday:
Good Friday is a special day celebrated by the Christians. It falls towards the end of the Holy Week and marks Jesus' resurrection. Initially called God's Friday, Christ's suffering and death on the cross is remembered. "Good Friday" evolved from "God" or "God's Friday". Good Friday occurs between the March 20th and April 23rd for the decade (2001 to 2010). A plank of wood, representing the cross on which Christ was crucified is displayed in churches for the veneration of believers.
Earlier, only Easter Sunday was celebrated as a holy day by the Christian Church. By the fourth century, each day of the week preceding Easter were established as holy days including Good Friday. It is believed that "Good" represents the good gift of salvation brought forth by martyrdom.
Indian Festivals - Christian Festivals
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