What Makes The Holiday Season Special To You?

As we finish off the celebrations for Independence Day, we start looking forward to the festival season that is fast approaching. With Raksha Bandhan around the corner, then Ganesh Chaturthi, Dussera and finally the biggest festival, Diwali. The festival season in India is like no other. Take a look around the world and all the cultures will celebrate their festivals and holidays with a wide assortment of savory dishes and sweets, but in India it is so much more. Festivals in India mean houses lit with diyas, colorful rangoli[Rangoli Classes in Pune] to welcome visitors, savory sweets, delicious foods, music, parties, prayers, puja’s, firecrackers and much more.

It doesn’t matter what corner of the world you are living in; the excitement of the festival can be felt by all. The air is filled with glee, excitement and love. People become kinder, more open and giving. Festivals open the doors of the heart to welcome all those you pass by. You can’t help but share the excitement that is flowing through you with all those you encounter. From shopping for your holiday attire, to making sweets with loved ones, giving gifts, drawing rangoli with friends and family and gathering with family members and friends over a beautiful holiday meal. The holiday season also means children and adults both get to display their talents and gifts in cultural/talent shows in their societies, cities, offices and school.

Everyone gathering to dance dandiya[Dandiya Classes in Pune] during Navratri is one of the highlights of the festival. But if you don’t know the dance then you will definitely miss out on the fun, which is why during this time of the year many schools offer dandiya lessons so that you can learn and be able to participate in the festivities confidently, without feeling shy or embarrassed because you are afraid of doing it wrong. Another holiday favorite is drawing rangoli. There are places that hold rangoli competitions as well to see who can draw the biggest or best design. I remember taking lesson for rangoli[Rangoli Classes in Pune] before I started drawing rangoli in front of my house for the festivals. Now every year, for every kind of celebration, you can be guaranteed to see a simple yet beautiful rangoli in front of my door to welcome the holiday visitors. It is back breaking work, but well worth it at the end, when you see the colorful design you have managed to create. And then there are the cooking competitions, like the one my society holds during Diwali, to see who can make the tastiest dish. Learning to make holiday treats is simple if you find a class with an expert chef who can teach you to make a wide array of sweets and delicacies, which will tempt the taste buds of all your holiday visitors. One of my favorite holiday activities is of course shopping for the holiday dress. My friends and I love to buy something simple and add our own embroidery or designs to, making it unique. Last, but not least, the sight of your home lit up by beautiful diya’s is a sight to behold. Your home during the festival season lit by hundreds of diyas, diyas you can learn to make unique to your home and your tastes by painting them to reflect your personality.

This is what the festival season means to me. I look forward to all these activities every year. I plan the sweets to make, rangoli design to draw, the diyas I plan on using to light up my home and the dresses, which I personally alter to reflect my personality with embroidered designs. So, what kinds of things make the festival season special to you?