Gear up for a ton of fun with these upcoming festivals in India!

Festivals in India are moments of joy as well as spirituality. In a country like India where the water, language and culture changes every mile, festivals bring a variety of customs, traditions and celebrations. Right when one festival is over, people are gearing up and planning for the upcoming festivals already!

Festivals are very important in India, as they play a central role in our culture. They bring families together, and also make the society one big family! Festivals give people the sense of being together and belonging with one another, as in many places people in a society come together to participate in common rituals and activities.

At Samskara Home, we always aim at making every festival celebrated by you more special. Be it the Pooja essentials like lamps, aarti thalis and urlis, or festive décor items like Christmas jewels, garlands and stars, or even our wall hangings with divine figures like Ganesha or Ashtalakshmi, every single thing boasts of the richness of our culture and samskaras.

Why are festivals in India important?

Most of the religious festivals are celebrated by referring to the traditional calendar, or the panchang. The festivals coming on a particular date symbolize the important events and occasions in our mythology and history - birth of a deity, the triumph of good over evil, or the onset of a new season.

While the religious and spiritual context would emphasize more on the divinity and devotion with which we celebrate these festivals, the fun part can also not be ignored. Wearing colourful and new clothes, jewellery, decoration and of course the delicious sweets and savouries that amma makes – these are just some of the reasons why festivals are the best times of the year!

Festivals enable people to connect to their roots, keep their traditions alive, and live in harmony with the rest of the community. In India, where the community is much more than a set of people living together in a space, festivals provide an opportunity for people to celebrate their values and heritage, and forget the differences between them. People get a sense of belongingness and togetherness, when they celebrate the festivals with music, dance, food, and other cultural and spiritual activities. Festivals are so much fun, that many people think “which is the next festival”, as soon as this one gets over.

Important upcoming festivals in India –

Given our diverse culture and ethnicity, there are many festivals in India, and we all eagerly wait for the next upcoming festivals. While some are celebrated by people in all the states and cultures, some are celebrated locally, only in a certain part of the country. For example, Diwali is kind of a national festival, so is Christmas. But festivals like Chhat Pooja, Karwa Chauth and Teej are celebrated only in the Northern part of India.

Here are some of the most important and majorly celebrated festivals coming up in India, between the period of December and January:

• Christmas: It is the next upcoming festival in India, and the world. Every year, Christmas falls on December 25^th, and is celebrated by Christians across the country. It is a season of jolly, and is the major festival celebrated by the Christian community across the world. It is celebrated to mark the birth of Jesus Christ, where people pray, feast and share their joy with everyone.

Decorate your house with beautiful hangings, wall arts and Christmas ornaments from Samskara.

• New Year's Day: Whether it is a festival or not, it is a day of joy and celebration for everyone! It is the next coming festival after Christmas, and falls on January 1^st, where people come together to celebrate and mark the beginning of a new and exciting year!

• Lohri: It is a Punjabi festival celebrated on January 13^th, which marks the end of winters, celebrated by dancing, bonfires and feasting. On the same day as Lohri, Boghi is celebrated in the southern part of India.

• Makar Sankranti: Also known as Pongal, Bihu and many other names, Makar Sankranti is another Hindu upcoming festival India will be celebrating on January 14th. It is also a major harvest festival, and people celebrate it with great excitement and joy.
• Maha Shivaratri: Maha Shivaratri is the next upcoming festival, celebrated in the month of Phalguna (February/March). In 2023, it will be celebrated on 18^th February, and will be a time of fasting, prayer, and worshipping Lord Shiva.
• Holi: Holi, the festival of colours, is a spring festival celebrated by Hindus across India. It is celebrated to reminisce the victory of good over evil, and also mark the onset of spring. Just like Diwali, the non-Hindu community also doesn’t shy away from throwing colours at each other and having fun! In 2023, we will be celebrating Holi on the 8th of March.

Each festival has its own beauty and divinity, and we at Samskara are constantly working towards making each one special for you. Be it the Diwali décor, lamps or Pooja essentials, or Christmas décor and essentials, shopping at Samskara Home is going to double up every devotion and celebration.

How do you celebrate your festivals? Do let us know through your comments below!