What is Thanksgiving?
Celebrated on the fourth Thursday on November, this American festival is an acknowledgement of gratitude for a plentiful harvest. …
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Festivals
All features, stories and articles tagged with: Festivals
46 items · page 1 of 4
Why is Halloween Celebrated?
“Trick or Treat!” shout little witches, paper-bagged goblins, rubber-masked imps and bed-sheeted ghosts as they extend …
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The Story of Dussehra
Dussehra, also called Vijayadashmi (or Bijoya in Bengal), is the culmination of the nine-day Navaratri celebrations. It is a …
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What is the Mystery of Dracula?
As bats flap through the musty castle, a coffin lid creaks open and an ashy white hand gropes for the cover. The lid slides off …
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Durga Puja in Calcutta
Durga Puja in Calcutta [Illustration by Shiju George] Durga Puja is the biggest festival in Bengal. We celebrate this puja very …
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Makar Sankranti
The colourful kite-flying festival of Makar Sankranti or Uttarayan, which falls on January 14 each year, marks the end of a long …
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Gurpurab – the birth of Guru Nanak
The Birthday of Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism, is traditionally celebrated on Kartik Puranmashi, or the full moon day of the …
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The Story of Diwali
Deepavali or Diwali as it has come to be known as, means many things to many people. It means holidays from school, shopping …
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Onam — The Harvest Festival
The harvest festival of Kerala, Onam, falls on Shravan day in the month of August or September. After a lush harvest, Onam is the …
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The Nine Nights of Navaratri
This year, the end of September marks the onset of Navaratri or “nine nights” in the Hindu calendar. With this begins …
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Ratha Yatra
Excerpts from the book “Festivals of India” Published by National Book Trust, India. Festivals bring large numbers of …
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Holi – The Colours of Spring
Quick, think of spring and what comes to mind? The festival of Holi, of course!! Think of Holi and what springs to mind? …
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