VASANT PANCHAMI
Vasant Panchami is a Hindu festival celebrating Saraswati, the goddess of knowledge, music and art. It is celebrated every year on the fifth day of the Indian month Magh (January-February), the first day of spring. Traditionally during this festival, children are taught to write their first words, brahmins are fed, ancestor worship is performed and most educational institutions organise special prayer for Saraswati. The color yellow also plays an important role in this festival, in that people usually wear yellow garments, Saraswati is worshipped dressed in yellow and yellow sweets are consumed within the families. Children love flying kites . They enjoy the festival with great fun and enthusiasm.
In Ferozepur (Punjab) it is also as a Kite Festival in Border Area city of Punjab Ferozepur. This Festival is very famous in the cities as boys and girls buy Thread and Kites in huge quantity to fly. Children as well as young boys like this festival very much. Young boys by putting sound system on their terrace start dancing right from the evening of the previous day of Vasant, colour full kites in the sky makes the sky very colour full and worth seeing. People from all around the world come to enjoy this festival. It feels as if this festival is most popular festival in ferozepur than in any other city. Vasant Panchami has a specific meaning, Vasant means Spring, whereas Panchami means the fifth day of the spring. It falls on Panchami - on the Waxing Moon. The festival lies in the month of January or February. The young girls dressed in the diverse shades of yellow magnify the splendor of nature. Kite flying, a popular sport in India, is associated with the Vasant Panchami day. It is a day for young crowd - no routine work, no studies, only merry making.Saraswati is traditionally depicted with a serene and calm expression with a majestic air. She is seated on a white lotus in Padmasana, adorned by a pure white silk sari, has a book in her lower left hand, her lower right hand showing the chinmudra, Aksharamala in her right upper hand and Amrithakalasam in her left upper hand. Both eyes are full of compassion. The vehicle assigned to each of the three goddesses also symbolically represent their special powers.Devotees worship her in temples, often by keeping books underneath her idol.
The Vasant Panchami is celebrated in January-February all over the country with great fervor and vigor.
Eid ul-Fitr is a Muslim holiday that marks the end of Ramazan, the Islamic holy month of fasting. Eid is an Arabic word meaning "festivity," while Fir means "breaking the fast". The holiday celebrates the conclusion of the 29 or 30 days of dawn-to-sunset fasting during the entire month of Ramazan. The first day of Eid, therefore falls on the first day of the month Shawwal. Eid-ul-Fitr has a particular salah (Islamic prayer) consisting of two rakaah (units) and generally offered in an open field or large hall called an Eed-gah. It may only be performed in congregation (Jamaat) and has an additional extra six Takbirs (raising of the hands to the ears while saying Allah-u-Akbar [God is Great]), three of them in the beginning of the first rakaah and three of them just before ruku in the second rakaah in the Hanafi school.Muslims are commanded by God in the Quran to complete their fast until the last day of Ramadan and pay the Zakat al-fitr before doing the Eid prayer.
The id Ul-fitr is observed on the first of the month of Shawwal right after the end of the holy month of Ramazan in which the believers undergo a period of fasting. It is evident from certain Ahadith that these festivals were initiated in Madinah after migration. When the Prophet arrived in Madinah, he found people celebrating two specific days in which they used to entertain themselves by playing and merriment. He asked them about the nature of these festivities at which they replied that these days were occasions of fun and recreation of the days of jahilliyah. At this, the Prophet remarked that the Almighty has fixed two days instead of these for you which are better than these: id al-fitr and id al-adha For Muslims, both these festivals of id al-fitr and id al-adha are occasions of showing gratitude to God, remembering him and are a means of entertainment. Aishah narrates that when on an id day her father Abu Bakr stopped young girls from singing, the Prophet said: Abu Bakr .
Eid ul-Fitr is celebrated for one, two or three days. Common greetings during this holiday are the Arabic greeting Eid Mubarak ("Blessed Eid") or Eid Saeed ("Happy Eid"). In addition, many countries have their own greetings based on local language and traditions – in Turkey, for example, a typical saying might be Bayramınız kutlu olsun or "May your Bayram – Eid – be blessed." Muslims are also encouraged on this day to forgive and forget any differences or past animosities that may have occurred with others during the year.
Typically, Muslims wake up relatively early in the morning—always before sunrise— offer Salatul Fajr (the pre-sunrise prayer), and in keeping with the Sunnah, clean one's teeth with a Miswaak or toothbrush, take a shower before Fajr prayers, put on new clothes and apply perfume.
It is haraam, or forbidden, to fast on the Day of Eid. That is why it is recommended to have a small breakfast of sweet dish, preferably the date fruit, before attending the special Eid prayer (salaat). It is a Sunnah (Prophetic tradition) that the Sadaqat-ul-fitr, an obligatory charity, is paid to the poor and the needy before performing the Eid prayer by all those adult Muslims who are required to pay Zakat. Muslims recite the following Takbil in the low voice while going to the Eid prayer: Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar. Laa ilaaha ilal-lahu wal-Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar wa-lilla hil hamd. Another Sunnah of Muhammad Muslims are recommended to use two separate routes to and from the prayer grounds.
Eid prayer is performed in congregation in open areas like fields, community centers, etc. or at mosques. No adhan (Call to Prayer) or iqama (call) is to be pronounced for this Eid prayer and it consists of only two rakaat (units of prayer) with an additional six Takbirs. The Eid prayer is followed by the khutbah (sermon) and then a supplication (dua) asking for God's forgiveness, mercy, peace and blessings for all living beings across the world. The khutbah also instructs Muslims as to the performance of rituals of Eid, such as the zakat. Listening to the khutbah (sermon) of Eid is a necessary requirement (wajib) i.e. while the khutbah is being delivered. It is haraam (prohibited) to talk, walk about or offer prayer while the sermon is being delivered. After the prayers, Muslims visit their relatives, friends and acquaintances or hold large communal celebrations in homes, community centers or rented halls.
Gifts on eid are frequently given to children and immediate relatives. It is also common in some cultures for children to be given small sums of money by adult relatives or friends(eidi).
Lohri is fundamentally an agricultural festival. It is celebrated in the state of Punjab on the on the 13th of January, which falls one day before Makar Sankranti. While Lohri is essentially a Punjab festival, it is celebrated in some other states of North India as well. In cities like Delhi, which have a predominant Punjabi population, Lohri is celebrated to denote the last of the coldest days of winter. The Punjab and other areas of North India get very cold in the month of January and usually the period of the last week of December and the first couple of weeks in January are the coldest of the season. However after Lohri, the temperature starts gradually rising.
During the day, children go from door to door singing songs in praise of Dulha Bhatti, the Punjabi version of Robin Hood, a thief who helps the poor and fights for their rights. These children are given sweets and savouries and occasionally, money. These munchies that the children collect are known as Lohri and they are distributed at night during the festival. Some may be offered to the sacred fire. The festival of Lohri is celebrated outdoors. As it is usually very cold on the 13th of January, a bonfire is lit and friends and relatives gather around. If there has been a happy occasion in the family, like the birth of a child or a marriage, Lohri is celebrated with much greater gusto. The happy family usually hosts a party to celebrate the first Lohri of the new child or couple.
Singing and dancing form an intrinsic part of the celebrations. People wear their brightest clothes and come to dance the bhangra and gidda to the beat of the dhol. Punjabi songs are sung, and everybody rejoices. Sarson ka saag and makki ki roti is usually served as the main course at a lohri dinner. In the villages of Punjab, Lohri is an occasion where the entire village gets together and participates in the celebrations like one big happy family. The bonfire is lit in the main village square and after a fair amount of song and dance, everyone eats a rich and fulfilling community dinner. During this time, the farmers are undergoing a period of rest because wheat, which is the main crop in Punjab, is sown in October and harvested in March or April. In January, the fresh crop has just started growing and the farmers are ecstatic. 
A prayer is made to Agni and Prasad is distributed. The prasad comprises of five main things: til, gazak, gur, moongfali and popcorn. An offering is also made of this Prasad to the sacred fire. Lohri is celebrated throughout the country in different forms, as a harvest festival. It is called Pongal in the South, Bhugali Bihu in Assam, Bhogi in Andhra Pradesh and Sankranti in the central part of the country. Modes of celebrating Lohri are also different but the message conveyed by the festival that of setting aside differences and rejoicing by celebrating the end of the harvest season and the chilly winter is the same.
The first Lohri celebrated by a new bride or a newborn represents a grand occasion and immediate family members are invited for feast and exchange of gifts. Once the party is over, Lohri is celebrated with traditional dancing and singing around the bonfire. Lohri pampers women and children. This is particularly a happy occasion for the couples who for the first time celebrated Lohri after their marriage and also first Lohri of a new born child either a girl or a boy in a family. On the first Lohri of the the recently wedded bride or a new born, people give offerings of dry fruits, revri, roasted peanuts, Sesame Ladoo and other foods to the fire, as well as sharing them with their family and friends gathered around the fire. They perform the ‘Bhangra’ dance, in groups around the fire. The dancing and singing continues well into the night. The Bhangra dance has rhythmic movements of the feet, shoulders and body, with outstretched hands and a lot of clapping by women partners. Food eaten is generally vegetarian and traditionally, no alcoholic drinks are supposed to be consumed.
The Carnival of Brazil is an annual festival held forty-six days before Easter. On certain days of Lent, Roman Catholics and some other Christians traditionally abstained from the consumption of meat and poultry, hence the term "carnival" from carnelevare, "to raise meat." Carnival celebrations are believed to have roots in the pagan festival of Saturnalia which adapted to Christianity, became a farewell to bad things in a season of religious discipline to practice repentance and prepare for Christ's death and resurrection.
The typical genres of music of brazilian carnival are, in Rio de Janeiro: the samba-enredo, the samba de bloco, the samba de embalo and the marchinha, in Pernambuco and Bahi, the main genres are: the frevo, the maracatu, the samba-reggae and Axe music. Carnival is the most famous holiday in Brazil and has become an event of huge proportions. The country stops completely for almost a week and festivities are intense, day and night, mainly in coastal cities. The consumption of beer accounts for 80% of annual consumption and tourism receives 70% of annual visitors. The government distributes condoms and launches awareness campaigns at this time to prevent the spread of AIDS.
Rio de Janeiro's carnival alone drew 4,9 million people in 2011, with 400,000 being foreigners.
Modern Brazilian Carnival originated in Rio de Janeiro in 1641 when the city's bourgeoisie imported the practice of holding balls and masquerade parties from Paris. It originally mimicked the European form of the festival, later absorbing and creolizing elements derived from Native American and African cultures.
In the late 19th century, the cordoes were introduced in Rio de Janeiro. These were pageant groups that paraded through city avenues performing on instruments and dancing. Today they are known as Blocos, consisting of a group of people who dress in costumes or special t-shirts with themes or logos. Blocos are generally associated with particular neighborhoods. They include both a percussion or music group and an entourage of revellers.
Block parades have become an expressive feature of Rio's Carnival. Today they number more than 100 and the groups increase each year. Blocos can be formed by small or large groups of revelers with a distinct title with an often funny pun.
GANESH CHATURTHI
Ganesha Chaturthi also known as Vinayaka Chaturthi is the Hindu festival of Ganesha, the son of Shiva and Parvati, who is believed to bestow his presence on earth for all his devotees in the duration of this festival. It is the day lord shiva declared his youger son "ganesha" as superior to all the gods,ganesha is widely worshipped as the god of wisdom, prosperity and good fortune.
The festival is observed in the Hindu calendar month of Bhaadrapada, starting on the shukla chaturthi (fourth day of the waxing moon period). The date usually falls between 20 August and 15 September. The festival lasts for 10 days, ending on Anant Chaturdashi (fourteenth day of the waxing moon period).
While celebrated all over India, it is most elaborate in western and southern India. Outside India, it is celebrated widely in Nepal and by Hindus in the United States, Canada and Fiji.
In 1893, Indian freedom fighter and social reformer Lokmanya Tilak transformed the annual domestic festival into a large, well-organized public event.Tilak recognized the wide appeal of the deity Ganesh as "the god for everybody" and popularized Ganesh Chaturthi as a national festival in order "to bridge the gap between Brahmins and 'non-Brahmins' and find a context in which to build a new grassroots unity between them", and generate nationalistic fervor among people in Maharashtra against the British colonial rule.
Tilak encouraged installation of large public images of Ganesh in pavilions, and also established the practice of submerging in rivers, sea, or other pools of water all public images of the deity on the tenth day after Ganesh Chaturthi.Under Tilak's encouragement, the festival facilitated community participation and involvement in the form of intellectual discourses, poetry recitals, performances of plays, musical concerts, and folk dances. It served as a meeting ground for people of all castes and communities in times when, in order to exercise control over the population, the British discouraged social and political gatherings.
Today, the Ganesh Festival is not only a popular festival, it has become a very critical and important economic activity for Maharashtra. Many artists, industries, and businesses survive on this mega-event. Ganesh Festival also provides a stage for budding artists to present their art to the public. The same holds true for Bangalore, Hyderabad and Chennai too. In Maharashtra, not only Hindus but many other religions also participate in the celibration of Ganesha festival like Muslims, Jains, Christian and others. This festival has managed to re-establish the unity among the Indians during British Era.
