Religious Festivals & Events
Chinese New Year
The origin of the Chinese New Year is the longest chronological record in history, popularly recognised as the Spring Festival and celebrations last 15 days. Preparations tend to begin a month from the date of the Chinese New Year (similar to a Western Christmas), when people start buying presents, decoration materials, food and clothing. A huge clean-up gets underway days before the New Year, when Chinese houses are cleaned from top to bottom, to sweep away any traces of bad luck. The doors and windows are then decorated with paper cuts and couplets with themes such as happiness, wealth and longevity printed on them.
At the eve of the New Year, traditions and rituals are very carefully observed in everything from food to clothing. Dinner is usually a feast of seafood and dumplings, signifying different good wishes. It is usual to wear something red as this colour is meant to ward off evil. At midnight the sky is lit up by fireworks. On the day itself, an ancient custom called Hong Bao meaning ‘red packet’ involves married couples giving children and unmarried adults money in red envelopes. Then the family begins to say greetings from door to door, first to their relatives and then their neighbours. The end of the New Year is marked by the Festival of Lanterns, which is a celebration with singing, dancing and lantern shows. Although celebrations of the Chinese New Year vary, the underlying message is one of peace and happiness for family members and friends.
Diwali
Diwali is the festival of lights – the name comes from the Sanskrit word dipavali, meaning row of lights. It is known as the ‘festival of lights’ because houses, shops and public places are decorated with small earthenware oil lamps called Diyas. These lamps, which are traditionally fuelled by mustard oil, are placed in rows in windows, doors and outside buildings to decorate them. Diwali extends over five days. The first day of Diwali is called Dhanvantari Triodasi or Dhanwantari Triodasi also called Dhan Theras. The second day of Diwali is called Narak Chaturdasi. It is the fourteenth lunar day (thithi) of the dark fortnight of the month of Kartik and the eve of Diwali. On this day, Lord Krishna destroyed the demon Narakasur and made the world free from fear. The third day of Diwali is the actual Diwali. This is the day when worship for Mother Lakshmi is performed. On the fourth day of Diwali, Goverdhan Pooja is performed. The fifth day of the diwali is called Bhratri Dooj. It is a day dedicated to sisters.
The festival is celebrated mainly by Hindus, but Sikhs and Jains also take part in celebrations. For Sikhs Diwali is celebrated as the return of the sixth Guru, Guru Hargobind Ji from the captivity of the city, Gwalior. To commemorate his undying love for Sikhism, the town’s people lit the way to Harmandhir Sahib (the Golden Temple) in his honour. Jains celebrate it for the attaining of Moksha (Nirvana, or eternal bliss) by the founder of Jainism, Lord Mahavira.
The festival in general celebrates the victory of good over evil, light over darkness and knowledge over ignorance, although the actual legends that go with the festival vary in different parts of India. For example, in north India, Diwali celebrates Rama’s homecoming, that is his return to Ayodhya after the defeat of Ravana and his coronation as king; in Gujarat, the festival honours Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and in Bengal, it is associated with the goddess Kali. Everywhere, it signifies the renewal of life and accordingly it is common to wear new clothes on the day of the festival; similarly it heralds the approach of winter and the beginning of the sowing season.
The date of Diwali is set by the Hindu calendar and so it varies in the Western calendar. It usually falls in October or November.
Eid ul-Fitr or Id-Ul-Fitr
Often abbreviated as simply Eid, marks the end of Ramadan. Fitr means ‘to break the fast’ and therefore symbolises the breaking of the fasting period. On Eid, a typical Muslim family is awake very early and then after praying the first normal everyday prayer, is required to eat in a small quantity, symbolizing the end of Ramadan. They then attend special congregational prayers held only for this occasion in mosques, in large open areas, stadiums or arenas. The prayer is generally short and is followed by a sermon (kutba). Worshippers greet and embrace each other in spirit of peace and love after the congregational prayer. For Muslims, Eid ul-Fitr is a joyous occasion with important religious significance, celebrating the achievement of enhanced piety. It is a day of forgiveness, moral victory, fellowship, brotherhood and unity. Muslims celebrate not only the end of fasting, but also thank God for the help and strength that they believe he gave them throughout the previous month to help them practice self-control. It is a time of giving and sharing and many Muslims dress in their finest clothes and spend time with their friends and family.
Ramadan
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic Lunar calendar and the holiest of the four holy months. It begins with the sighting of the new moon after which all healthy Muslims are obliged to abstain from all food, drink, gum chewing, any kind of tobacco use and any kind of sexual contact between dawn and sunset. The month is also a time for spiritual reflection, prayer, doing good deeds and spending time with family and friends. The fasting is intended to help teach Muslims self-discipline, self-restraint and generosity. It also reminds them of the suffering of the poor, who may rarely get to eat well. It is common to have one meal (known as the Suhoor), just before sunrise and another (known as the Iftar), directly after sunset. This meal will commonly consist of dates, following the example of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon Him. Because Ramadan is a time to spend with friends and family, the fast will often be broken by different Muslim families coming together to share in an evening meal.
Vaisakhi
Vaisakhi is both the Sikh New Year festival and the anniversary of the founding of the Khalsa in 1699 by the 10th Guru, Guru Gobind Singh. Guru Amas Das first institutionalised this as one of the special days when all Sikhs would gather to receive the Guru’s blessings at Goindwal in 1567. In 1699 Guru Gobind Singh gathered thousands at Anandpur Sahib and founded the Khalsa order by baptising 5 brave Sikhs who were willing to give their life for the Guru. The Five Beloved Ones in turn baptised Guru Gobind Singh into the Khalsa brotherhood. This day celebrated around April 13 is considered the birthday of the Khalsa order. Sikhs visit Gurdwaras and fairs and parades are held.
Please click here to download a calendar of religious events and festivals for 2007.