India holds the record for the most New Year celebrations in calendar year. Christians celebrate it on January 1, Muslims - on the first day of the month of Muharram (according to the Islamic calendar). Some residents of the country celebrate it at the end of October - beginning of November, on the day of Diwali. The traditional Indian year begins on March 21-22, the first day of the month of Chaitra. Each state of the country has its own indigenous traditions and dates of celebration: March 10 - in Kashmir, March 26 - in Andhra Pradesh, April 13 - in West Bengal, April 14 - in Tamil Nadu.
New Year January 1
Tradition to celebrate New Year on the night of December 31 to January 1, as in most countries of the world, penetrated into India from Western European culture in the twentieth century. The spirit of this holiday can be felt in major cities of the country. Settlements of the Indian hinterland do not celebrate this date.
The most popular place to celebrate the New Year among Indian youth and guests of the country is the southwestern state of Goa. On the shores of the Arabian Sea in New Year's Eve Mass celebrations, parties and an electronic music festival are organized.
Traditions and rituals
New Year on January 1 is a young holiday in India. It has no established traditions. It intertwines elements of borrowed European culture and national flavor. Each state has its own celebrations.
On the eve of the New Year, Hindus put things in order in their homes, get rid of old clothes and trash. Picking up other people's discarded things is a bad omen.
Residents of some parts of India paint their skin with henna patterns, which can attract happiness and good luck for the whole year.
Hindus wear new festive clothes and decorate them with fresh flowers of pink, white, red and purple.
Residents of the country's older generation prefer to spend the holiday in family circle at a modest table. Women try to be close to their husbands. Young people take to the streets and squares, participate in carnivals, parties and open-air theatrical performances. At midnight, the sky lights up with bright fireworks and bells ring in temples. In port cities: Mumbai, Calcutta, Cochin, Madras, on January 1 at 00.00, sirens on ships and ships solemnly announce the arrival of the New Year.
On the first day of the new year, Hindus are forbidden to argue, take on debt, or be in a bad mood. They believe that as you celebrate the New Year, so it will pass. On January 1, they always go to temples and in prayer ask the gods for blessings for the next year.
New Year decoration
In big cities of India new Year decoration executed in European style. In apartments, houses, shopping centers and elegant artificial Christmas trees are installed in the squares, fairs and bazaars are held. The streets are on fire festive garlands. Sometimes Indians dress up local exotic trees (palm trees or mango trees).
Local residents decorate their houses lavishly and brightly. The national flavor can be seen in the drawings with which housewives paint their homes. The patterns symbolize success and prosperity. They decorate the outside of their houses with banana leaves. Burning candles and lanterns are placed on the roofs.
New Year's table
Most Indian families have a modest meal. A distinctive feature of this country's New Year's dishes is a large number of spices and herbs that symbolize diversity and abundance. Descendants of some ancient tribes avoid fish and meat dishes. They are afraid of angering the gods by eating the meat of a killed living creature for the holiday.
Traditional Hindu New Year's dishes: biryani - rice with vegetables, meat and spices, sabji - vegetable stew with curry, pickles - vegetables and fruits marinated in mustard oil, chapatis - bread flatbreads, samosas - fried pies with cheese, meat or vegetable filling
The festive table includes national sweets: bhuni hi chinni ka halawa - semolina pudding, sweet rice with cardamom and nuts, burfi - milk fudge, rasagula - curd cakes in sweet syrup.
Present
For the New Year, Hindus give gifts to their close relatives and friends. symbolic gifts in the form of baskets with fruits, nuts and fresh flowers.
On the first morning of the year, mothers prepare large trays of fresh fruit, sweets, flower buds. In both poor and rich families, mothers try to make the child’s tray beautiful and memorable. When there are a couple of sweets and one fruit on it, they arrange magnificent flower arrangements that delight the children.
Cities and resorts
The New Year holidays in India will bring pleasure and fill you with positive emotions.
This country is home to the world-famous symbol of love - the mausoleum of the beloved Emperor Shah Jahan, the Taj Mahal. This historical and architectural monument is located near the city of Agra. The palace is built of snow-white marble and amazes with the luxury of its interior decoration. The walls of the Taj Mahal are inlaid precious stones and pearls. There is a beautiful park around the mausoleum.
Tourists who decide to soak up the beaches of Goa can combine their vacation with exploring natural attractions. The highest waterfall, Dudhsagar, is located in the Western Ghats mountain range. Its name is translated into Russian as “Sea of Milk”. Falling from a height of 310 meters, the water scatters into many splashes, which appear white and present a mesmerizing sight.
Not far from the capital of Goa - the city of Panjim - the Bondla Nature Reserve is located. Rivers flow through its territory and form waterfalls. The zoo houses exotic animal species and has a center for the care of injured animals. In the arboretum you can get acquainted with exotic species of animals. On the territory of the reserve you can ride an elephant or rent a car for a comfortable trip.
The market in the city of Anjuna is popular among tourists. It occupies a huge shopping area. At the market you can find souvenirs, jewelry, and handicrafts at affordable prices. Experienced tourists negotiate with the owner of the goods before purchasing, which helps reduce the cost several times.
Pilgrims and curious travelers from all over the world are attracted by the Virupaksha temple complex in the settlement of Hampi in southern India. It consists of a well-preserved main Pampapatha temple and additional buildings. The temple amazes with its ancient beauty: majestic columns, statues of mythical animals, ancient paintings and frescoes.
India- an exotic country in which a large number of traditions and religions, rituals and class conventions are intertwined.
Due to the abundance of many religious beliefs in the country, the New Year was not considered a holiday for a long time, and it began to be celebrated not so long ago and under the influence of Western tradition. How is New Year celebrated in India, and how many times are celebrations held?
Indian holidays - photos
New Year is celebrated in India more than once year and has its own characteristics and traditional ways celebrations.
When are they celebrated?
Some customs of Western culture have reached the exotic, including the celebration European New Year on the night from December 31 to January 1. The event is secular in nature and its celebrations are dominated by European influences.
Traditionally Indian New Year celebrated in the spring - depending on the state, the name of the holiday and the date may be different: March 22, April 13 or 14.
In Hinduism there is no such holiday as the New Year, but there is Diwali - the festival of fire, the symbolic victory of good over evil. It is celebrated in October.
A holiday is celebrated in North India from January 13 to 14. Laurie- something between Russian Maslenitsa and Old New Year.
Features of the New Year's kitchen: what does the table look like?
A traditional Indian New Year dish is coarsely chopped fruits and vegetables, generously sprinkled with herbs and spices. Food is served on silver or gold saucers. It is also customary to eat the bitter leaves of the neem tree - it is believed that in this way a person can attract good luck.
India is a very beautiful and exotic country with its own laws and traditions. And holidays are celebrated especially here too. Here only recently they began to celebrate the New Year from December 31 to January 1. Previously, this date fell on a different date on their calendar. If you go with your whole family to spend your childhood here, the winter vacation, you will have a lot of fun and see a lot of interesting and unusual things. IN winter time India is warm and dry. How to celebrate the New Year in India, you will remember long years. They don't have such harsh and cold winter, with snow and blizzard. In some areas the temperature reaches almost thirty degrees. Massive fun celebrations and fiery carnivals take place on the streets of the city. India celebrates the New Year the longest in terms of the number of days. Previously, all Hindus celebrated the New Year in the month of November, it was National holiday Deepavali. Such a day was accompanied by noisy fireworks, cheerful demonstrations and decoration of the city.
India is a big country and different parts of it celebrate New Year on different styles. For example, in the Northern region of India, all people decorate themselves with beautiful, exotic flowers of all colors. Flowers are fragrant with their aroma and make the air exotic and unique. In the Southern region, it is traditional to decorate the tray with delicious fruits. Here they use different fruits that grow in India. And in the morning, the children are blindfolded with a scarf and brought to a tray of fruit so that the child can choose it for himself and eat it. All children are looking forward to the New Year holiday with great impatience. They also try to behave well and study diligently at school. But the central region of India has the most beautiful tradition of celebrating the New Year. The most striking spectacle here is the burning of an effigy or tree decorated with bright ornaments. National flags are hung on the roofs of all the houses, making the street orange. And at night, colorful lights also light up, making the city beautiful and fabulous. On a night like this the street is crowded. Everyone is having fun, jumping over the fire. Yogis walk on hot coals. There are also unusual competitions where women and men measure their strength and skills. Among young people they like to organize real archery, and children prefer to launch into the sky kites. No matter how noted differently holiday, but unites everyone great mood on New Year's Eve.
Attentive and respectful attitude towards each other. All Hindus believe that the way this New Year's Eve goes, so will the next year. Hindus are deeply religious people and, along with the traditional celebration of the holiday, they visit temples where they ask the god Lakshmi, he is the patron of wealth, material well-being in the new year. And the god Kama has health and love in his family. Real New Year in India family celebration. Only here they traditionally decorate not a Christmas tree, but a Mango tree, and not with garlands and toys, but with bananas. On New Year's table They prepare the most delicious national dishes. Pilaf is especially appreciated. Each family cooks according to its own special recipe. Many people add meat to pilaf, while others make it only with vegetables. Beans, cabbage and even potatoes are used for pilaf. Indians eat pilaf simply with their hands, making small balls out of it. They add a lot of spices to their dishes, which make the dish original.
Hindus decorate their houses with large banana leaves. Instead of light bulbs, they hang lamps on the roofs, with oil in the middle. Children are also waiting New Year's gifts, and the New Year's Christmas woman brings it to them under their tree. After midnight, bells ring in all the temples of the city and announce the arrival of the New Year. And in areas where there are seaports, ships signal the arrival of the holiday. The entire female half of India necessarily celebrates the New Year with their husbands; they behave very quietly and decently. Teenagers must also follow the requirements of etiquette and spend the holiday with their family. Although young people are influenced by Western youth and behave very noisily on the city streets on New Year's Eve, while drinking large quantities of alcoholic beverages. Indians are friendly people. They give gifts not only to their family members, but also to their friends and neighbors. Gifts include baskets of fruits and nuts. With such gifts they express their respect and wish them a happy and prosperous New Year. Well, they give sweets to children.
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Cold warm New Year
Are you sure that New Year comes on January 1st? Then we might surprise you. In India, the beginning of the year is celebrated at least four times. And every time it’s bright, fun and on a grand scale.
Festive fireworks in India amaze with their splendor
Four New Years. And that's the minimum
In India, many cultures and religions, beliefs and rituals intersect. Add to this ten official calendars, and then you will appreciate the scale and diversity of just one holiday.
There are many holidays in India. Almost every day in the country something is celebrated somewhere
So, the New Year comes to the homes of most Indians on the following dates:
- Traditional Western New Year, January 1
- Lohri holiday is celebrated in Northern India on January 13-14
- New Year's Eve lunar calendar falls on different dates, usually in late March - early April
- Autumn New Year is celebrated in October
Thanks to the climate, decorating your home with fresh flowers is easy on the family budget.
Even adults don’t refuse this set of holiday sweets.
Beriana instead of Olivier on January 1
Western traditions of celebrating the beginning of the year are gradually penetrating into India. January 1 is celebrated most solemnly in those regions where Catholics and Christians live. Everything here is traditional, adjusted for the hot climate.
Holidays and festivals are a great opportunity to make money
Instead of Christmas tree in India they decorate the mango tree. They dress him up homemade toys, sweets. Vibrant carnivals, competitions, and fairs take place on city streets. Residents of the country decorate themselves with flowers. But on the table there is a mandatory dish - berian, or in our opinion, pilaf. Moreover, it is believed that the spicier the treats on the festive table, the more successful the next year will be.
Beriane can be vegetarian, but it must be hot and spicy
You can give sweets and nuts as gifts under the Christmas tree. And of course, the beginning of the year should be celebrated in good mood. This will ensure success in the coming year.
India is a multicultural, multinational and multireligious country
Cold warm New Year
While our latitudes are preparing to celebrate the Old New Year, on January 13 in the Northern regions of India they celebrate the holiday of Lori. It is believed that this is the coldest day of the year, when Indians begin to see off the “harsh” Indian winter. During the holiday, bonfires are lit. People around them perform parikrama. After the holiday, corn and baked rice are a must. When the sun sets, residents will begin to burn the effigy - a symbol of the passing year.
To appease the gods, rice, sesame seeds and sugar cane stalks are thrown into the fire.
But in the morning comes “children’s time.” Girls and boys run around neighboring houses and sing songs, for which they receive sweet gifts or money. Another symbol of Lohri is the traditional Punjabi dance Bhangra. Only men are allowed to perform it.
Only men dance bhangra
Live fire burns in Indian homes both day and night
Where to celebrate New Year in spring?
In most states of India, the spring New Year is considered the main one. In some states the beginning of the year is celebrated on the day spring equinox, March 21, but others celebrate the beginning of the year in April. This is due to the floating dates of the lunar calendar.
Sikhs have celebrated this day since 1699.
The holiday itself has different names - Ugadi, Vishu, Vaisakhi. This celebration also has its own traditions. For example, start the year with a celebration. For this purpose, women prepare a special treat for their pets. Another ritual of this day is to present gifts to poor relatives.
A boy chants at the annual Sikh parade
The beginning of the year is celebrated cheerfully in the streets. Hindus try to celebrate the New Year in new clothes, actively demonstrating their dancing and vocal talents. But the material for traditional holiday dresses is banana leaves.
There are no fewer excellent male dancers among ordinary Indians than there are women
Mass festivities take place on a grand scale: people jump over fire and fly kites. Another favorite tradition is to “decorate” each other with colored powder or paint. But the residents of Bengal must definitely swim in the river, this way they can wash away all their “year-old” sins.
Every Indian strives to take a ritual bath on the holiday.
Don't wait for winter - holiday in October
In some states of India, New Year comes in October. Diwali begins at this time of the year. This holiday symbolizes the victory of the forces of light and goodness. That’s why the October New Year is especially bright. Lanterns and candles are lit on the streets, and even the Ganges “burns” from the light of floating lights.
NASA photo: India from space on a normal day and on Diwali
In India, any holiday is not only fun, but also prayer and meditation
Diwali is celebrated for five days. During the festival, Hindus glorify the goddess of fertility Lakshmi. “Autumn” New Year is a home celebration. Therefore, many Indian residents strive to come home from work and celebrate the holiday among their large families.
One of the main desserts of the festival is besan ladoo.
So, if you love the festive atmosphere, you can safely come to India, the most New Year's country peace. New Year is celebrated here four times a year. And this is not the limit!
Lakshmi- born from the golden lotus, the goddess of abundance, prosperity, luck and happiness. Protects against misfortune and poverty.
parikrama- Tibetan name - bark. This is what Hindus and Buddhists call a ritual circumambulation around a shrine.
Popular wisdom says that the very first day of the year predetermines all subsequent 364. Therefore, it is customary to greet the new calendar cycle with noisy festivities. Many people spare no expense to celebrate the New Year at a richly decorated table. Well, what about travel? Without chimes, but also without snowdrifts outside the window, in some tropical countries on the shores of a warm sea? Sounds tempting. And although we have already missed the celebration of the World New Year 2015, all is not lost. After all, there is such a country as India. In this amazing region, a significant event occurs four times a year. And in some states even more often. Let's explore how New Year is celebrated in India. Maybe we can figure it out and also take part in the enchanting fun?
Why so much
India is a multicultural country. People of different faiths live side by side with Hindus, who form the religious majority. These are Christians, Muslims, and Buddhists. And everyone doesn't mind celebrating. But what is not celebrated in India at all is this. But this only means that there are still very few Russian tourists in the country, and they have not informed the local population about such a wonderful opportunity to welcome the arrival of January 14th. The New Year, traditional throughout the world, began to be celebrated in India relatively recently. The festivities take place on the greatest scale in the state of Goa - recently there this event takes place in conjunction with Christmas and the Adoration of the Magi, that is, everything is permeated with Christian spirituality. But the Hindu calendar also has enough New Years. They are celebrated in February, April, May, and also in October.
Holi
The date February 24 is also New Year. In India, Holi is celebrated in all states. This is an official day off. Another name for Holi is the “Festival of Colors”. On this day, people of all ages sprinkle each other with colorful powder made from crushed Ayurvedic medicinal herbs. Cleaned houses are decorated with lamps and lights. Orange flags are flying. On this day it is customary to wear pink, red, white and purple clothes. The culmination of the celebration is the burning of a large effigy or tree decorated with garlands. Unlike Europeans, Hindus perform religious rituals - pujas - on New Year's Day. In temples, as well as in homes, the gods of love - Kama and Krishna - are also honored. Well, then they go on a visit or sit down festive table the whole family.
Gudi Padwa
Another New Year in India falls in the spring. It does not have an exact date, since it is tied to the lunar calendar, like our Easter. But for Hindus, with his arrival, the first month of the year begins - Medam (mid-March - first half of April). It marks a new agricultural cycle. Gudi Padwa (or Vishuvela festival) is celebrated especially in the state of Kerala. Carnival parades take place there. People dress up in banana leaf skirts and cover their faces with masks. The holiday lasts five days. In the first, offerings are made to sacred cows, in the second, gifts are given to relatives. The third day - Gosain Bihu - is reserved for religious ceremonies. Based on the results of the carnival processions, Bihu Kanvori, the best dancer, is selected. The locals are very religious, and you need to remember this when you come to celebrate the New Year in India. Traditions dictate not only having fun and throwing fireworks into the sky, giving and receiving gifts, but also honoring various deities. Because it was on this day that the next character of the Hindu Olympus defeated the demon on duty.
India for the New Year: 2015 according to the Shaka calendar
For a long time the country lived according to its own calendar. The year began with the month of Chaitra, or more precisely, with the vernal equinox (March 22). Each region of India has a different name for this holiday: Ugadi in Andhra Pradesh, Panchanga Sravana in Andhra, Nadu in Tamil. But in the state of Kashmir, this New Year is celebrated for a particularly long time. Celebrations begin and continue until April. All this time, fun continues in Kashmir, accompanied by fairs.
Diwali, or Festival of Lights
This joyful event is celebrated in October. Hindus believe that on this day Prince Rama defeated the evil demon Ravan and took back his kidnapped wife Sita. In honor of the victory of light over darkness, people light thousands of lamps. And the day after Diwali comes New Year. To consider this holiday as an analogue of January 1st is not everywhere. Basically, the New Year in October is celebrated by the Gujarati people, while other Indians simply celebrate Diwali. But after the Festival of Lights comes Bestu Varas (Varsha Pratipada). According to Gujarati beliefs, Krishna himself once saved their people from destructive downpours and gave them a bountiful harvest. Therefore, tradition dictates celebrating the New Year with a tray of fruit. Well, in the evening the sky explodes with the noise of firecrackers and fireworks.
India, New Year, tours
If you want to celebrate a holiday according to the pan-European calendar, then it makes sense to do it in some tropical country. Recently, the night from December 31 to January 1 is considered a holiday everywhere. This is a joyful event that unites people of different faiths and atheists. Therefore, wherever you go, thousands of local residents will be celebrating the most important night of the year with you. But each country has its own characteristics to celebrate this date. For example, the state of Goa. The most Catholic region of the country, about which even local residents say that this is not quite India. Goa, where the New Year always leaves a lot of the most joyful impressions, is also good on weekdays. But during the Christmas period it is something special! That's why tours go there. Discos on the shore of the warm sea, light breeze and shining lights. All celebrations are not without certain European symbols - Christmas trees, Santa Clauses and reindeer. Since winter is the peak season in Goa, it makes sense to book tours in advance. This way you can save money by booking early.
