Celebrating festivals is a glorious way to rejoice our culture, traditions and heritage. They allow us to cherish the special moments with our friends, family and loved ones and help build up a strong bond with the society members. Festivals serve the purpose of bringing happiness and positivity to our lives, help us balance our emotions and create a sense of unity. Behind every traditional festival lies a story that gives us an insight about the social, religious and historic angles of our country. Therefore, we have put together a list of the oldest festivals around the world that will unfold several stories behind their origin and reason for celebrations.
Sterling Renaissance Festival
Sterling Renaissance Festival is one of the famous and oldest festivals of the world celebrated in Sterling, New York for seven consecutive weekends through July and August. It was founded in 1976 by Sr. Dennis Ouellette and later operated by Gerald and Virginia Young. The setting of the festival is the year 1585 in the fictional village of Warwick. It brings together many jugglers, illusionists, bagpipers, comedians, actors, fortune-tellers and musicians who perform to entertain the crowd. Twice a day, the performers join together in a parade at the festival grounds. Each evening festival ends with a pub singing where everyone is encouraged to sing and dance. The festivities also include games and rides that kids can enjoy with elder members of the family. There are jewelry shops, leather and costuming shops where people can shop and have a great time together.
Diwali
Diwali is the festival of love, light, and happiness that celebrates the victory of good over evil. According to the legends, this festival marks the return of Lord Rama to his people after 14 years of exile during which he fought and won a battle against Ravana. Therefore, Diwali is commemorated to honor Lord Rama who is also known as the incarnation of Lord Vishnu. It is celebrated on the 15th day of the Hindu month Kartik, which falls in October or November in the Gregorian calendar.
During this festival, people clean and decorate their houses with lamps, flowers, and rangoli, wear new clothes and worship Goddess Lakshmi who represents wealth and prosperity. Exchanging gift like Diwali sweets and dry fruits is one of the major attractions of this festival through which people convey their love and wishes for their dear ones.
Christmas
Christmas is one of the famous and oldest festivals known that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ. It is celebrated across the world on 25th December every year. During this festival, people decorate the Christmas tree with stars, flickering lights, bells, ribbons, and other decorative ornaments. They hang Christmas wreath at their doors that mark the arrival of this joyous festival. The midnight masses are held in the churches on the eve of Christmas. People eagerly await this festival round the year and celebrate it with great pomp and show by exchanging gifts and relishing traditional feast with their friends and family. You can extend Christmas wishes to your loved ones with fabulous gifts such as cakes, chocolates, cookies, gift hampers, and personalized items.
The Dragon Boat Festival
The Dragon Boat Festival, also known as Duanwu or Tuen Ng Festival is a traditional annual festival of China that has been celebrated for over 2000 years. It is observed on the 5th day of the 5th month of the traditional Chinese calendar, so the date varies from year to year in the Gregorian calendar. This Chinese festival is full of traditions and superstitions that originated from dragon worship or marked as a day of remembrance/worship for Qu Yuan, Wu Zixu and Cao E.
Dragon boat racing is the most important activity during this festival when the wooden boats are shaped and decorated in the form of a Chinese dragon. During the dragon boat race, all the team members paddle harmoniously and hurriedly, which is complemented by the sound of beating drums. It is believed that the team that wins the boat race will have good luck and happy life in the following year. Eating zongzi, a pyramid-shaped glutinous rice dumpling wrapped in reed leaves and drinking realgar wine are two of the famous customs of this festival.
Raksha Bandhan
Raksha Bandhan is a traditional Indian festival that commemorates the sacred bond of love shared between siblings. It is celebrated on the last day of the Hindu lunar calendar month of Shraavana, which typically falls in August according to the Gregorian calendar. During this festival, the sister ties a beautiful rakhi thread on her brother’s wrist and pray to God for his happiness and prosperity. In return, brother promise to protect his sister from all the evil in the world forever.
There are several stories related to the origin of this festival. According to one such story, in the 17th century, when Chittor was under the attack of Bahadur Shah, the Sultan of Gujarat, Rani Karnavati of Chittor could not defend her land and therefore, sent a rakhi to Mughal emperor Humayun to ask for help. Humayun was quite touched with this heartfelt gesture and agreed to defend Chittor. Relishing sweets and exchange of gifts between siblings are the major attractions of this festival. Along with colorful rakhis, you can also send heart-warming rakhi gifts to convey your heartfelt love for your siblings and make them feel closer to home.
All these oldest festivals are still celebrated with great pomp and show in their respective countries. These festivals allow people to exchange love and warm wishes with their friends, family members, and social groups.
