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DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20240308
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SUMMARY:Maha Shivaratri
DESCRIPTION:Maha Shivratri is an annual festival honoring Shiva\, the Hindu God of destruction. People celebrate by fasting for a whole day and staying awake all night. They also chant hymns and sing devotional songs\, called bhajans. \nIs Maha Shivaratri a Public Holiday?\nMaha Shivaratri is not a public holiday. Businesses have normal opening hours. \nIt is a solemn Hindu festival devoted to introspection and meditation. The day reminds worshippers to work towards overcoming darkness and ignorance. \n\nThe Great Night of Shiva\nMaha Shivratri\, which means the great night of Shiva in Hindi and Sanskrit (Maha = great\, Ratri = night)\, is one of 12 Shiv Ratris during the year. The 14th day of the Waning Moon period of every lunar month is devoted to Shiva. These nights are also known as Masik (monthly) or Maas Shivratri. \n\nWhen is Maha Shivratri?\n\nIn South Indian calendars\, it falls on the 14th day (chaturdashi tithi) of the Waning Moon period of the Hindu month of Magha.\nIn North Indian calendars\, Maha Shivratri falls on the 13th and 14th day of the Waning Moon (Krishna paksha) in the month of Phalguna.\n\nWhere is Maha Shivratri Celebrated?\nIn India\, Maha Shivaratri is a Gazetted Holiday\, which means that all central government employees have a day off. Indian states have their own rules about granting the day off. \nIn the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir\, Maha Shivratri is called Herath. Unlike the rest of India\, it is celebrated on the 13th (triyodashi) day of Phalguna. The next day is spent feasting. \nWhere is Maha Shivratri Celebrated?\nIn India\, Maha Shivaratri is a Gazetted Holiday\, which means that all central government employees have a day off. Indian states have their own rules about granting the day off. \nIn the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir\, Maha Shivratri is called Herath. Unlike the rest of India\, it is celebrated on the 13th (triyodashi) day of Phalguna. The next day is spent feasting. \nFasting\, Devotional Songs\, Night-Long Vigils\nMaha Shivratri is celebrated differently in different communities and regions. Devotees usually fast (vrat) for 24 hours and stay awake during the night\, chanting sacred mantras and singing devotional songs called bhajans in praise of Shiva. One of the most repeated chants during the occasion is om Namah Shivaya. \nThey visit Shiva temples to end their fast\, burning incense and bathing the lingam or linga with rose water\, milk\, and honey. This ritual is called puja. The lingam is a phallus-shaped representation of Shiva. \nCannabis and Fairs\nAlthough Maha Shivratri is a solemn holiday\, many Hindus like to celebrate it with lively fairs. Especially towns and villages with temples host these fairs for the believers who come to pray to Shiva. \nA unique tradition associated with the Maha Shivratri celebrations is the consumption of thandai\, a drink made of cannabis (bhang)\, sweet almonds\, and milk. \nWorship Through Dance\nIn many parts of India\, including Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra\, temples organize dance festivals called Natyanjali. During the multi-day festival\, traditional dancers use their art to worship Natraj\, Shiva’s incarnation as the lord of dance. \nThe Many Legends of Maha Shivratri\n\nChurning of the seas (Samudra Manthan): According to one story\, the gods (devas) and demons (asuras) churned the mythical seas to extract amrita\, the nectar of immortality. As they churned\, poison emerged from the sea. To save the world\, Lord Shiva consumed the poison\, which turned his neck blue. Because of this\, he is also often called Neelkanth (blue throat in Sanskrit).\nThe heavenly dance of creation: Some believe that Maha Shivratri is the night when Shiva performed the tandava\, the powerful dance of creation\, preservation\, and destruction.\nShiva’s union with Parvati: In another myth\, Shiva is said to have married Parvati\, on this day after she fasted for him. Parvati is the Hindu goddess of power\, devotion\, and motherhood. Today\, many women follow goddess Parvati’s steps and fast during Shivratri for the long lives of their husbands and sons. Those who are not married\, fast and pray for a devoted husband like Shiva.\nShiva as the punisher: According to some legends\, the festival of Shivaratri commemorates the time Shiva intervened in an altercation between Brahma and Vishnu. Brahma is the God of creation\, and Vishnu is the God of preservation. Angered by their disagreement\, Shiva took the shape of a raging fire. Another story has Shiva cursing Brahma after he fought with Vishnu.\n\nGod Shiva: The Destroyer\nIn Hinduism\, Shiva is one of the three supreme lords\, the other two being Brahma and Vishnu. \nAlso known as Mahadeva\, the great God\, Shiva destroys to create. He is a kind god who lives a simple life on Mount Kailasa. He is also depicted as an angry god who destroys ignorance\, darkness\, and selfishness. His other names include Rudra\, Shankar\, Mahesh\, and Bholenath. \nShiva is often represented as sitting cross-legged with a snake coiled around his neck and his hair piled high with a Crescent Moon in it and the river Ganges flowing from it. On his forehead is his third eye\, which destroys the world when opened. The trident is his weapon of choice. \nIn the Shaivite tradition within Hinduism\, Shiva is the supreme being\, while in Shaktism\, Shiva is seen as inseparable from the goddess Shakti.
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CATEGORIES:Hindu
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DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20240325
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SUMMARY:Holi
DESCRIPTION:Holi (Dolyatra\, Doul Jatra\, Basanta-Utsav) is the Hindu festival colors that celebrates the triumph of good over evil\, good harvest\, and fertility. It usually falls in the later part of February or March. \nIs Holi a Public Holiday?\nHoli is not a public holiday. Businesses have normal opening hours. \nWhat Do People Do?\nHoli is celebrated over two days in many areas\, while other areas may celebrate it for longer periods. The festival loosens the normal social restrictions by bringing people together not based on sex\, status\, and/or age. A public bonfire is usually held between 10pm and midnight to commemorate the burning of Holika on the first evening of Holi. Many sing and dance in the street while other are shouting\, cursing and causing general mayhem during the bonfire event. \nMillions of Hindus around the world celebrate Holi with a community festival. Many visit each other’s homes to distribute sweets and greet each other. Men\, women\, adult and children all take part in dances and other cultural programs during Holi. People dress in pure white and gather together in a common place to color each other with gulal\, which are colored powders and other form of dyes. A popular activity is the throwing of water balloons at one another\, sometimes called lola. \nPublic Life\nHoli is a restricted holiday in India\, so government offices and most businesses remain open. Individuals have the flexibility to take time off to celebrate the holiday if they choose. It is not a nationwide public holiday in countries such as Australia\, Canada\, the United Kingdom\, and the United States but some cities may hold large celebrations for the occasion. \nBackground\nHoli was first celebrated as an agricultural festival celebrating the arrival of spring but has now evolved into a time when everyone throws off the gloom of winter and rejoices in the colors and liveliness of spring. The day observes the various events in Hindu mythology and disregards the social norms by participating in the festivities. \nHoli is accompanied by many legends but there are two stories that serve as the origin of Holi traditions. The story of Krishna and Radha is said to be the basis for the ritual of throwing and applying colored water and powder. According to legend\, the young Krishna complained to his mother\, Yashoda that Radha was so fair and he was so dark. Yashoda advised him to apply color to Radha’s face and see how her complexion would change. Thus\, Holi is now become a festival of colors not only to celebrate the coming of spring but also to disregard social norms and to focus on enjoying the festivities. \nAnother legend behind Holi is that an evil king tried to kill his son\, Prahalada\, a devoted follower of the god Vishnu. The king\, Hiranyakashipu\, challenged Prahalada to sit on a pyre and asked (though some believed she was forced) his sister\, Holika\, who the king believed was immune to fire\, to sit with his son in the fire. When the fire started\, everyone watched as Holika burned to death\, but Prahalada survived without any injuries due to his devotion to Vishnu. According to some accounts\, Holika begged Prahalada for forgiveness before her death\, so he promised that the burning of Holika would be remembered every year at Holi. \nSymbols\nThe bonfire represents the burning of Holika\, the triumph of good over evil. All of the dead leaves\, twigs and dirt that is collected during the winter month\, is thrown into the fire to symbolize the evil spirits. The ashes from the bonfire are believed to provide protection against diseases. Different colored powder or gulal\, oils and water represent the arrival of spring and its vibrant colors. \nNote: It is not possible to mention every activity that takes place on this occasion as celebrations vary in different regions. However\, this article provides a general overview of the main celebrations that usually occur during this event. Moreover\, the date in which it is celebrated may vary depending on locations and calendar interpretations. \n 
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CATEGORIES:Hindu
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