INDIAN FESTIVALS 

India is a land of many festivals ! 

All Indian festivals have religious, social and seasonal elements to them. Celebrations are done with religious sanctity, making traditional food and celebration of the season. 

The preparation of Indian traditional sweets or desserts and festival recipes, women, men and children adorning traditional dresses, dancing  with unwavering enthusiasm are the characteristics of festivities held on those festival days. Bright colors, brightly lit religious places, twinkling illuminated houses are all part of the celebration of various festivals in India.

Each festival has its own religious or symbolic meaning.  There are cultural and traditional performances and music and sometimes parades and processions of the deities. 

Indian festivals are a good way to get-together for social functions. To create an awareness of the heritage and culture that has been handed down to us for generations. These get togethers can enhance our mental and spiritual dimension that, if left in the dark, make us only poorer and less worthy of our heritage. 

So make it a point to get a few of your friends together to celebrate and remember the age old traditions of the past. 

It is difficult to transport the same enthusiasm and feeling for the festival when it occurs in India as the number of people recognizing it and celebrating it is far less and spread out.  We have outlined some of the major festivals and celebrations held in India. We hope that this can be a starting point to understanding the vast culture and heritage of India.