A Speech On Indian Festivals

Health & wellbeing day promotion of healthy Asian finger foods for many people who attended the day this was a new experience including myself.

tribal members profess their dedication to their traditions and beliefs. "The feast of the New Yam

DBQ: Using specific examples from the documents below, analyze the purposes that rituals and festivals served in traditional

The traditional Athabascan potlatch has not change much since it was celebrated by their ancestors in the past. In this essay we will explore what the significance of the Athabascan potlatch and why it is so important to the communities where it is celebrated. We will also explore similar “gift giving” ceremonies by other indigenous people around the world.

Every Culture has a set of rituals that they partake in, that are often constructed over a long period of time. Simple Actions, and special moments contain so much meaning and make everlasting memories. All rituals despite the locations they originate from, or the location they are carried out in contain the same components, they are repetitive, symbolic, remind a certain group of people about their values and beliefs, and these rituals commemorate a significant moment. For example christians commemorate the birth of christ by attending mass, and many other cultures celebrate this moment in many different ways that have in depth symbolic meaning. In the book “Guests of the Sheik” by Elizabeth Warnock Fernea rituals play a major role. Fernea’s husband Bob is an anthropologist studying the occupants of a small village named El Nahra and their culture. Fernea has documented her experiences, and adventures, and her perspective of the many rituals that the townspeople participate in such as, Ramadan, Muharram, weddings, and pilgrimages. In Muslim culture pilgrimages are immensely important and can even lead to an elevated status. Such as the pilgrimage to Mecca. Fernea is able to participate in a pilgrimage to Karbala with a couple of the towns women she had befriended. The Pilgrimage to Karbala is a symbolic, and cultural ritual in the aspect that it is reenacted every year, and is full of symbolic meaning, commemorates an important occasion and reminds a culture about their

Preview: Now let’s take a look at the Origin and description of Mardi Gras, and why it’s culturally important.”

Although, the ritual has been passed on from generation to generation, how the Navajo rituals are ways of communication has been questioned by so many. Many believe that it way for the patient to come into “…harmony… ” with the universe (Klukhohn and Leighton 1974). The hypothesis for the question was presented based on exploration of the culture done by researchers; concluding that, the Navajo rituals are a way of communication to their ancestors/the Holy People, who are worshiped in return of good

With the cultural differences, it is hard to understand why the Nacirema make these rituals a huge importance. Ethnocentrism plays a role, and is very present because it is very easy to judge one group’s behaviours and beliefs from the perspective of our own. It may be because it is something that we are not accustomed to or may find odd and unethical. If we were to put ourselves in their shoes, it is certain the cultures around the world may find our own “rituals and traditions” to be odd as well.

There were the healing rituals which consisted of singing and dances and were held to help the tribe return to harmony. Another ceremony was the Pow-wow, the closest English translation is meeting. The pow-wow is an event for native and non-native American people to meet and honor the native American culture. One more ceremony that is important to the native people is the Green Corn Festival. The ceremony typically takes place late in the summer and is tied to the ripening of the corn. At this festival, there is dancing, feasting, fasting and religious observations. Most ceremonies in the Native American culture last several

     Since Buddhism and Hinduism have different believes they also have different holy days. Moreover, because Hindus worship variety of gods they have a variety of festivals. The three main festivals of Hinduism are: Holi, Divali, and Dasehra. Holi is the most popular festival. This holy day is celebrated each year during February-March to welcome spring. “Holi is dedicated to god Krishna and it was once a fertility ceremony (104).” Throughout the days of Holi, many of the casts and taboo restrictions are set aside and pleasure is emphasized. The second ceremony Divali, celebrated in November, is a festival to welcome a new year. Finally the third festival, the Dasehra, celebrated up to nine days in October, in honor of Durga, a consort of Shiva. On the other hand Buddhism is divided in many ways according to philosophy and geography. The major festivals that are celebrated by most Buddhists are New Year, Buddha’s birthday, the festival of souls, and robe offering. In

A cultural event that I have attended in the past that has had a memorable affect on my life was a Native American Powwow. This event takes place every year, Thanksgiving weekend in Tucson, AZ. I arrived in the late afternoon, as the sun was going down. I remember seeing many different types of people, from tourists to the different Native American performers. The physical setting of this particular celebration was outside, and based around, one main circle. Drums were beating so loud, you could feel the pound inside your chest. Different activities were going on all around, such as dancers, vendors, and a huge variety of foods to choose from. The circular dancing arena is known as the arbor, this area is blessed before any of the events

* Describe when the ritual takes place. Does it respond to some particular event? It is held at specific time of year? Is it held on a regular basis? Is it performed only when needed?

Central Idea: India is a fascinating country with diverse traditions related to their language, their costumes, and their cuisine.

As said by Jawaharlal Nehru in a letter dated 20 September 1953, “India is a composite country, composite in many ways, in religion, in customs, in languages, in ways of life”. It is a community which is known for its cultural diversity across the world. With having 29 states and 7 Union territories, India also has 22 different languages and 11 different religions practiced by a diverse group of people. It is a community where holidays and festivals are celebrated on a wide scale, irrespective of caste, and beliefs. Where on one hand the community celebrates Eid ul- Fitr, Bakr- Id, Buddha Jayanti, and Baisakhi, there on the other, it also enthusiastically participates in the festivals like Diwali, Holi, Ganesh Chaturthi, and Christmas. Not only the community shares different festivals but also share diverse places of worship. Where on one side there is a Temple and Gurudwara, there on the other is Mosque and Church. This brings an admirable combination of languages, rituals, festivals, cuisines, clothes, and principles in one diverse community, India. The above facts prove the fact that India has a very rich cultural heritage and the diversity in culture has been one of the strengths for development in

Shades of orange, purple, green, deep red, magenta and dark blue make beautiful festive colors. If you are going for a monochromatic theme, go for colors like champagne, iris, sapphire, tango pink and laurel green. Diwali festivities are spread over multiple days in some regions, during which celebrants explode fireworks, share sweets, and send greetings to friends and family. Women may have their hands decorated with henna designs. Homes are decorated with small lamps and colorful paper lanterns called diyas and kandils, important parts of Diwali decorations. In some parts of India, Hindus also create rangoli, intricate floor paintings made of colored tikka powder or sand. Rangoli designs are made up of an unbroken line, the idea being that there should be no gaps through which evil spirits can enter. Motifs are usually natural – animals, flowers, etc.— though they can also include geometric patterns.