- When is the New Year in India?
- New Year's table in India
- Indian New Year traditions
- New Year gifts
India is one of the few countries in the world where you can celebrate the New Year several times. Due to the fact that representatives of different cultures and religions live in the country, the New Year in India is celebrated three times. In this case, the date of the celebration may vary, depending on the state and province.
When is the New Year in India?
In the northern part of the country, Lori is considered the main winter holiday, which falls on January 13-14. On the first day, Indians take to the streets and light bonfires to symbolize goodbye to the old year. After that, each resident goes around the fire several times. This ritual is called parikrama and has its roots in the distant past. After completing the ceremony, you should definitely eat baked corn with rice. Such food brings well-being and prosperity in the next year. On January 14, children go home, sing songs, and receive sweets in return. Outwardly, it resembles Russian carols, arranged on Shrovetide.
Lunar New Year is celebrated in India in March and April. Popular names for the holiday are Vishu, Ugadi and Vaisakhi. The date of the celebration is determined in advance and falls on the period from March 10 to April 20. At this time, carnival processions, theatrical performances and concert programs are held on the streets. The inhabitants of India give each other gifts and throughout the New Year and honor their ancestors and gods. One day is allocated for religious ceremonies. For the most part, the holiday is associated with the onset of spring, the beginning of the agricultural cycle and the renewal of all living things.
In the fall (October), all of India celebrates another New Year or Diwali. This holiday is appreciated by the Hindus most of all, as it has religious roots. Every resident of the country knows the legend about how Prince Rama defeated the demon Ravana, after which he took his wife Sita from captivity. The story tells that this event happened just on Diwali. As a sign of the victory of the light forces over the dark, the Indians light oil lamps, candles and lanterns. In big cities, you can also see colorful fireworks - a sign of a future happy life.
New Years according to the European calendar (December 21-January 1) are not celebrated everywhere in India. In remote villages, the holiday is sometimes simply forgotten and not considered so important. However, in the state of Goa, the New Year is on a grand scale. For this purpose, mass festivities on the coast, show programs and electronic music festivals are organized for tourists with the participation of the best DJs in Europe.
New Year's table in India
Experienced housewives preliminarily think over the menu, including dishes of national cuisine. The ideal table for a holiday looks like this:
- berian (roasted rice pilaf with meat and spices);
- murukka (spirals of thin dough sprinkled with spices);
- sabji (vegetable stew);
- dhal (soup with beans, tomatoes, curry, garlic and onions);
- fret (pies stuffed with dried fruits and nuts);
- pickles (fruits and vegetables marinated with mustard oil);
- chapatis (wholemeal tortillas);
- rasagula (cottage cheese cake topped with sugar syrup).
In addition to the main dishes, it is customary to serve flat dishes to the table, on which various types of nuts are poured and sliced fruits are laid out. In some parts of India, there are a sufficient number of vegetarians who eat only plant foods for the New Year. Separately, it is worth noting the fact that spices are of great importance for Hindus. The more there are, the richer life will be next year.
Indian New Year traditions
Due to the fact that the country has been mixing cultures and religions for a long time, New Year's customs originate from different sources. Among the most established are:
- The custom of cleaning the house before the holiday and throwing old things out into the street. It is considered bad omen to touch such things, so the Hindus prefer to simply burn them.
- Meeting the holiday only in new clothes. This is especially true for children and the elderly.
- Painting the skin of the arms and legs with symbolic tattoos. Henna is used as a coloring base. According to Hindus, the drawings promote prosperity and health in the new year.
- Decoration of clothes with flowers of yellow, red, purple, pink and white.
- Installing a kind of Christmas tree in the center of the room, the role of which is played by a miniature mango tree.
- After the New Year, in no case should you swear, take debts, swear, envy or be angry with someone for 3 days. This will bring the person bad luck and big problems in the future.
- Children ask for gifts from the deity Lakshmi (Indian Santa Claus), reciting poems and guessing riddles.
- On the first day of the holiday, all Hindus go to temples, where they pray to the gods for health and ask for blessings.
The central streets of cities look very interesting on New Year's holidays. This is especially true on December 31, when statues of flowers are installed everywhere, garlands are hung and colorful theatrical programs are arranged for local residents.
New Year gifts
It is not so important for Hindus to give an expensive present for a holiday. Parents prepare trays for children, on which sweets and fruits are laid out in a frame of flowers. Each mother tries to make the flower drawing as beautiful and unusual as possible, since for Indian children this is the best reason to rejoice in the New Year. Moreover, each fruit has a specific meaning. Mango is a symbol of health, banana is the personification of obedience, apple is happiness, and tangerines are harmony.
Souvenirs and pleasant trifles are bought for relatives, as well as household items are presented. For example, dishes, home decorations, or bedding. The first place among the most popular gifts in India is taken by fruit baskets and bouquets of flowers.
The donation ritual takes place before sitting down at the New Year's table and continues the day after the celebration. In general, gifts can be given all week long, but Hindus prefer to do this at the height of the New Year.
