Importance of Festivals in our Life
Festival is an auspicious day or period of religious or other celebration prevalent in all societies and religious communities.
Festivals are an important part of our life. Most of the festivals in India are associated with religion. The Hindus are worshipers of many deities and naturally Hindu festivals are many.
The Indians celebrate Durga Puja with great enthusiasm. Diwali or Dipavali, a festival of lamps or light is another excellent festival. This festival is noted for display of fireworks. Vasant Panchami, Ganesh Chaturthi, Pongal, Ratha-yatra or Chariot festival, Sivaratri, Raksha Bandhan and many other Hindu festivals are observed all over India with vigor of mirth and gaiety.
The Muslims celebrate three great festivals – Muharram, Eid-ul-Fitr, Eid-ul-Zuha and also Fateha Doaz-Daham.
The Christians observe Christmas, the holy birthday of Lord Jesus Christ; the Sikhs observe Guru Nanak’s birth day. Buddha Purnima and Mahavir Jayanati are observed respectively by the Buddhists and the Jains.
It is a happy feature in Indian scenario that now men and women of all religious communities share the pleasures of festivals of other communities. Thus national integration is strongly cemented.
Our aborigine people also observe many celebrations with dance and music.
There are many non-religious festivals like National festivals, Bengali New Year’s Day, Christian New Year’s Day and Harvest festivals, etc.
The effects of festivals are very wholesome for an individual and for the society.
They relieve us from monotony of life.
Festivals creates an environment of cultural harmony.
Festivals teach us to forget our enmity and embrace one another in a bond of love.
Moral, ethical, social values of life mix up with entertainment through festivals.
It is the duty of the affluent to make the poor shareholders of festivals. In the name of festival money should not be misused, for after all ours is not a rich country.
