SPECIAL OCCASIONS

IDUL FITRI IN SOUTH EAST ASIA

2012-10-05T03:35:00.004-07:00

Eid is known in Indonesia as Idul Fitri (or more popular as Lebaran) and is a national holiday. Additionally, in Indonesia Idul Fitri has a legally mandated salary bonus for all employees, known as Tunjangan Hari Raya (THR) as enforced by Indonesia's Ministry of Manpower and Transmigration ("Kementerian Tenaga Kerja dan Transmigrasi"). The mandated amount of this salary bonus differs by region. For example, within the Jakarta region the THR bonus must be at least Rp not less than one month's full salary paid in advance of Idul Fitri, in addition to the employee's regular salary. Thus, Idul Fitri is also a paid holiday. Breaching or withholding THR is a very serious labour law infraction and punished severely, regardless of employer status or position.

                    In Malaysia, Singapore, and Brunei, Eid is more commonly known as Hari Raya Aidilfitri (Jawi: هاري راي عيدالفطري), Hari Raya Idul Fitri or Hari Raya Puasa. Hari Raya means 'Celebration Day'. Idul Fitri is the biggest holiday in Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei; and one of the biggest in Singapore. Shopping malls and bazaars are usually filled with people to get things for Lebaran such as ; new clothes, shoes, sandals even food to serve days ahead of Idul Fitri, which creates a distinctive festive atmosphere throughout the country, along with traffic mayhem. Many banks, government and private offices are closed for the duration of the Lebaran festivities.

        One of the largest temporary human migrations globally is the prevailing custom of the Lebaran where workers, particularly unskilled labourers such as maids and construction workers, return to their home town or city to celebrate with their families and to ask forgiveness from parents, in-laws, and other elders. This is known in Indonesia as mudik, pulang kampung or in Malaysia as balik kampung (homecoming). It is an annual tradition that people in big cities such as Jakarta, Surabaya, or elsewhere, travel to their hometowns or other cities to visit relatives, to request forgiveness, or just to celebrate Eid with the whole family. The government of Indonesia provides additional transportation to handle the huge amount of travellers. However, the impact is still tremendous as millions of cars and motorcycles jam the roads and highways, causing kilometres of traffic jams each year. Additionally, the wealthier classes often go to local hotels or overseas to accommodate the absence of their domestic servants, drivers, and even security guards. Singaporean, Malaysian and Indonesian hotels have been particularly successful marketing lucrative Lebaran or Idul Fitri "escape package".

EDUL FITR IN INDIA

2012-10-05T03:07:00.001-07:00

In India, the night before Eid is called Chaand Raat, which means, "Night of the Moon." Muslims in these countries will often visit bazaars and shopping malls with their families for Eid shopping. Women, especially younger girls, will often apply the traditional Mehndi, or henna, on their hands and feet and wear colourful bangles.
The traditional Eid greeting is Eid Mubarak, and it is frequently followed by a formal embrace. Gifts are frequently given new clothes are part of the tradition and it is also common for children to be given small sums of money (Eidi) by their elders. It is common for children to offer salam to parents and adult relatives.

After the Eid prayers, it is common for some families to visit graveyards and pray for the salvation of departed family members. It is also common to visit neighbours, family members, specially senior relatives called Murubbis and to get together to share sweets, snacks and special meals including some special dishes that are prepared specifically on Eid.

On Eid day before prayers, people distribute a charity locally known as fitra. Many people also avail themselves of this opportunity to distribute zakat, an Islamic obligatory alms tax of 2.5% of one's annual savings, to the needy. Zakat is often distributed in the form of food and new clothes.

In India, there were many popular places for Muslims to congregate to celebrate Eid at this time include the Jama Masjid in New Delhi, Mecca Masjid in Hyderabad, Aishbagh Idgah in Lucknow; in Kolkata there is a prayer held on Red Road. Muslims turn out in the thousands, as there is a lot of excitement surrounding the celebration of this festival. It is common for non-Muslims to visit their Muslim friends and neighbours on Eid to convey their good wishes. Eid is celebrated grandly in the city of Hyderabad which has rich Islamic Heritage. Hyderabadi haleem a type of meat stew is a popular dish during the month of Ramadan, it takes centre stage and becomes the main course at Iftar(the breaking of the fast).

EID UL FITR

2012-10-05T02:45:00.003-07:00

EID UL FITR

Eid ul-Fitr marks the end of the fasting month of Ramadan. This has to do with the communal aspects of the fast, which expresses many of the basic values of the Muslim community; e.g., empathy for the poor, charity, worship, steadfastness, patience etc. Fasting is also believed by some scholars to extol fundamental distinctions, lauding the power of the spiritual realm, while acknowledging the subordination of the physical realm. It also teaches a Muslim to stay away from worldly desires and to focus entirely on the Lord and thank Him for his blessings. It is a rejuvenation of the religion and it creates a stronger bond between the Muslim and his Lord. After the end of Ramadan, is a big celebration of Eid.

HANUMAN JAYANTI

2012-10-04T03:26:00.001-07:00

Hanuman Jayanti or Hanumath Jayanti is celebrated to commemorate the birth of Hanuman, the Vanara god, widely venerated throughout India. It is celebrated on the 15th day of the Shukla Paksha, during the month of Chaitra (the Chaitra Pournimaa).
Hanuman is an ardent devotee of Lord Rama, and is worshipped for his unflinching devotion to the god. From early morning, devotees flock Hanuman temples to worship him.

Hanuman Jayanti is an important festival of Hindus. Hanuman is the symbol of strength and energy. Hanuman is said to be able to assume any form at will, wield rocks, move mountains, dart through the air, seize the clouds and rival Garuda in swiftness of flight. He is worshipped in folk tradition as a deity with magical powers and the ability to conquer evil spirits. The devotees visit temples and apply tilak of sindhūr to their foreheads from Hanuman's body as there is a common belief that Lord Hanuman loves sindhur. According to the legend, Sita was applying sindhūr to her head, Hanuman Ji questioned why was Sita applying sindhur to her forehead. In reply, Sita said that this would ensure a long life for her husband, Lord Rama. Hanuman then smeared his entire body with sindhūr, in an effort to ensure Rama 's immortality.
In Maharashtra, Hanuman Jayanti is celebrated on the full moon day of the Hindu lunar month of Chaitra. A special feature of Hanuman Jayanti is that according to some religious almanacs the birthday of Hanuman falls on the fourteenth day in the dark fortnight of the month of Ashvin while according to others it falls on the full moon day in the bright fortnight of Chaitra. On this day, in a Hanuman temple spiritual discourses are started at dawn. Hanuman was born at sunrise. At that time the spiritual discourse is stopped and the offering of food is distributed to everyone^.

MAHA SHIVARATRI

2012-10-03T10:59:00.002-07:00

Maha Shivratri is a Hindu festival celebrated every year in reverence of Lord Shiva.It is also known as padmarajarathri. Alternate common names/spellings include Maha Sivaratri, Shivaratri, Sivarathri, and Shivaratri. Shivaratri literally means the great night of Shiva or the night of Shiva. It is celebrated every year on the 13th night/14th day of the Maagha or Phalguna month of the Hindu calendar. Since many different calendars are followed by various ethno-linguistic groups of India, the month and the Tithi name are not uniform all over India. Celebrated in the dark fortnight or Krishna Paksha(waning moon) of the month of Maagha according to the Shalivahana or Gujarati Vikrama or Phalguna according to the Vikrama era. The festival is principally celebrated by offerings of Bael or Bilva/Vilvam leaves to Lord Shiva, all-day fasting and an all-night-long vigil. In accordance with scriptural and discipleship traditions, penances are performed in order to gain boons in the practice of Yoga and meditation, in order to reach life's summum bonum steadily and swiftly. A week-long International Mandi Shivratri Fair held at Mandi in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh every year is one of the major tourist attractions in the state.
^{We are celebrating Mahashivratri, because; there is a legend associated
with Samudra Manthan , a process in which the asuras and the gods joined hands to churn out amrut from the
depths of the ocean, using a mountain and a snake as a rope. The devas and the asuras counterparts were churning for a nectar
of immortality.
Among many things that came out, a pot of poison came out of the ocean.
This poison was so potent that it has the power to destroy the whole
universe. The problem that arose was that the nectar could not be
discarded, it had to be drunk by one of the devas or asuras. No one
wanted to drink the poison because they all felt that they were too
valuable or sacred to drink it. Shiva, upon the request of the gods,
came forward in a calm disposition and said that he would drink the
Halahala (poison) for “the sake of his family to sustain peace and allow
them to find the nectar of immortality.” By drinking the Halahala, he
eliminated its destructive capacity. Shocked by his act, Goddess Parvathi strangled his neck and hence
managed to stop it in his neck itself and prevent it from spreading all
over the universe supposed to be in Shiva's stomach. However the poison
was so potent that it changed the color of His neck to blue. For this
reason, Lord Shiva is also called Neelkanta.. After drinking the poison,
Shiva went to the Himalayas to meditate. The nectar of immortality was
found, and the asuras tried to steal it from the devas. They wanted to
become more powerful than the devas to be able to destroy them. After a
“series of divine interventions”, the devas emerged as the winners and
received the gift of immortality. By drinking the poison, Shiva
sacrificed himself for the safety of his family and humanity.}

ONAM

2012-10-03T10:59:00.000-07:00

"Maveli nadu vaneedum kalam
manusharellarum onnupole
amodhathode vasikkum kalam
apathangarkkumottillathanum
kallavum illa chathiyumilla
ellolamilla polivachanam
kallapparayum cherunazhiyum
kallatharangal mattonnumilla
adhikal vyadhikalonnumilla
balamaranangal kelppanilla "

”

...

“

" When maveli ruled the land
All the people were equal.
And people were joyful and merry;
They were all free from harm.
There was neither anxiety nor sickness,
Deaths of children were unheard of,
There were no lies,
There was neither theft nor deceit,
And no one was false in speech either.
Measures and weights were right;
No one cheated or wronged his neighbor.
When Maveli ruled the land,
All the people formed one casteless races "

”

KERALA'S ONAM

2012-10-03T10:57:00.002-07:00

Onam is an ancient festival which still survives in modern times. Kerala's rice harvest festival and the Festival of Rain Flowers, which fall on the Malayalam month of Chingam, celebrates the Asura King Mahabali's annual visit from the Sutala loka. Onam is unique since Mahabali has been revered by the people of Kerala since prehistory.
According to the legend, Kerala witnessed its golden era during the reign of King Mahabali. The Brahma-Vaivarta Puranam explains that Lord Vishnu wanted to curb the pride of Indra; and therefore positioned Mahabali in great power.
The Bhagavata Purana reads "He [Vishnu] will take the kingdom away from Purandara [Lord Indra] and give it to Bali Maharaja."
The subjects under Mahabali's reign were happy and prosperous and the king was highly regarded, so much so that even the gods under Indra became jealous of Mahabali as was intened by Vishnu, and they approached Vishnu claiming that Mahabali is now equivalent to an Indra. Once Vishnu was assured that Indra's pride has been contained and that a world with two Indras represents imbalance, Vishnu assumed the form of a dwarf: Vamana. Vamana requested three steps of land for him to live in. Given a promise of three steps of land by King Mahabali against the warning given by his Guru Sukracharya, Vamana, enlarged himself to such dimensions as to stride over the three worlds. He had grown so huge that he could step from heaven to earth, and earth to the lower worlds in two simple steps. King Mahabali unable to fulfill the promise of three paces of land to the Supreme God, offers his head for the third step. Thus, Vamana places his foot on King Mahabali's head and sends him down to the netherworld. Being worshipped however, by Mahabali, and his ancestor Prahláda, he conceded to them the sovereignty of Sutala (netherworld).
However, as Mahabali was equivalent to Indra, he had to wait until the next Yuga where he would be the Indra. In the meantime, with the grace of Vishnu, Mahabali visited his people on an annual basis. Vishnu served Mahabali as a gatekeeper in Sutala as the Lord himself serves his greatest devotees.
It is this visit of Mahabali that is celebrated as Onam every year. People celebrate the festival in a grand way and impress upon their dear King that they are happy and wish him well.
The rich cultural heritage of Kerala comes out in its best form and spirit during the ten-day festival. The central feature of Onam is the grand feast called Onasadya, prepared on Thiruonam. It is a nine-course meal consisting of 11 to 13 essential dishes. Onasadya is served on banana leaves and people sit on a mat laid on the floor to have the meal.
Another popular feature of Onam is Vallamkali, the Snake Boat Race, held on the Pamba River, in which decorative boats oared by hundreds of boatmen race amidst chanting of songs and cheering by spectators and viewers.

GUDHI PADWA

2012-10-03T10:57:00.000-07:00

   GUDHI PADWA

        On Gudhi Padwa, a gudhi is found sticking out of a window or otherwise prominently displayed in traditional Maharashtrian households. Bright green or yellow cloth adorned with brocade (zari) tied to the tip of a long bamboo over which gaathi (sugar crystals), neem leaves a twig of mango leaves and a garland of red flowers is tied. A silver or copper pot is placed in the inverted position over it. Altogether, it is called as Gudhi. It is hoisted outside the house, in a window, terrace or a high place so that everybody can see it.

          On the festive day, courtyards in village houses will be swept clean and plastered with fresh cow-dung. Even in the city, people take the time out to do some spring cleaning. Women and children work on intricate rangoli designs on their doorsteps, the vibrant colours mirroring the burst of colour associated with spring. Everyone dresses up in new clothes and it is a time for family gatherings.
Traditionally, families are supposed to begin the festivities by eating the bittersweet leaves of the neem tree. Sometimes, a paste of neem leaves is prepared and mixed with dhane, gul/gur (known as jaggery in English), and tamarind. All the members of the family consume this paste, which is believed to purify the blood and strengthen the body's immune system against diseases.

CHINESE NEW YEAR

2012-10-03T04:20:00.001-07:00

CHINESE NEW YEAR

Chinese new year ,also known as Lunar new year ,or the spring festivel , is one of the most eagerly anticipated occasions each year . This is biggest and most significant event of the chinese community , and it is observed by Singaporeanse from all walks of life .

The festival traditionally begins on the first day of the first month in the chinese calender and ends on the 15th day .

Another popular annual chinese New year event is the River Hongbao . Held on the Esplanude waterfront promenade in mid-February , the vicinity comes alive with the throbbing beat of lively street perfomance , Shopping and games stalls . Lanterns and Fireworks- a crowd favour the during chinese New Year .

ADIVASI FESTIVEL

2012-10-03T04:16:00.002-07:00

ADIVASI MELA

Adivasi mela is a tribal festival of great magnitude celebrated by the tribal people of Bhubaneswar , orissa , It normally starts in January and boasts of a stupendous and magnanimous fair where various handicraft items made by tribals will be on disply for sale . cutural , musical and dance programs are also.

PONGAL

2012-10-01T10:40:00.000-07:00

PONGAL FESTIVAL

The Pongal Festival or sankaranthi was originally held in celebration of a good harvest in south India , Where farming is the main form of live hood . Here in singapore , the Pongal festival welcomes the beginning of the 10th thamil month, called Thai , which falls in mid-January each year.it is celebrated in the form of a thanks giving and usually lasts four days .Pongal literally means to boil over and hence the pot of rice is allowed to boil over as a sign of prosperity .

The first day of pongal ,called Bhogi pongal , is spent spring cleaning and discarding old belongings to welcome a new begning . on the second day , pongal is celebrated . Hindu homes start the day with the prepration of pongal cooked in a new pot that is presented as an offering to the Gods in return for their blessings .

VISHU

2012-09-30T12:49:00.004-07:00

VISHU

Vishu (malayalam) is celebrated as New year's in Kerala . it is celebrated on the first day of the malayalam month of Medam. Offering to the divine called vishukanni are neatly arranged on the eve of the festival and consist of rice, linen , cucumber ,betel leaves ,holy texts , coins and yellow flowers called konna . A bell metal lamb called nilavilakku is placed along side . It is considered auspicious to see the vishukanni first thing in the morning . on this day , people read the Ramayana and go to temples , Hindu places of worship . children burst crackers , people wear new clothes and prepare special dishes and the elders of the house give out money to the children , servents and tenants . The money given is called Vishukaineetam

NEW YEAR

2012-09-30T12:30:00.001-07:00

NEW YEAR'S DAY

New year's Day is celebrated at different times of the year at different place . Generally the Lunar calender or(Hindu calender is also based on the movement of the moon) and has been the base of calculations from ancient times. Most of these celebrations are based on the Lunar Hindu Calender. This articles is about the various New year's days celebrated in India.