When the New Year comes to exotic India. Traditions and customs of the holiday

Folk wisdom says that the very first day of the year predetermines all subsequent 364. Therefore, it is customary to greet the new cycle of chronology 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 land significant event occurs four times a year. And in some states, even more often. Let's explore how they celebrate New Year 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 live side by side with Hindus, who form the religious majority different faiths. 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 colorful powder made from crushed Ayurvedic medicinal herbs on each other. 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 at the festive table with the whole family.

Gudi Padwa

Another New Year in India falls in the spring. Exact date he does not have, because he is tied to 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 another 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 spring 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. IN Lately 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, everyone will celebrate with you the most important night There are thousands of local residents every year. 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, the New Year in which always leaves a lot of the most joyful impressions, good on weekdays too. 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.

A holiday familiar to Europe on the night of January 1st began to be celebrated in India relatively recently. Basically, this New Year is celebrated in large cities. It is considered secular, devoid of a religious basis, therefore, along with the new date, the European traditions celebrations. Enterprises organize corporate parties, young people party all night in cafes, restaurants and on the streets.

Despite innovations, India still does not have a unified New Year. This is all due to the same multinationality and diversity of religions. Here ancient traditions are still revered and celebrated folk holidays, but in different parts of the state - in their own way. Each of them has its own separate date, which is the starting point and symbolizes the beginning next year. It is precisely such celebrations that are considered by the majority of the population to be the “real” New Year.

The months and dates for the holidays are not taken at random - they have a historical and religious background. If we take into account that in different provinces the same celebration falls on different dates, then there are about a dozen “New Years” in total.

Here are the most popular:

• Lori falls on January 13-14 and symbolizes the end of winter. It is celebrated in the north of the country.
• Vishu, Gudi Padwa or Ugadi is the New Year celebrated by adherents of Hinduism, so it is common in many parts of the state, but most of all in the south. The date of the holiday is determined according to the lunar calendar. In some provinces it coincides with the day spring solstice, and this is March 20-22. Where the Gregorian calendar is followed, Gudi Padwa is celebrated in mid-April.

Attention! If you find yourself passing through the state of Kashmir at the beginning of spring, be prepared to celebrate Vishu for a whole month, starting on March 10th.

• Vaisakhi is essentially the same holiday as Vishu; it is celebrated in mid-April. But under this name it is common in the northwestern state of Punjab, among the Sikhs inhabiting it.
• Bohag Bihu is the New Year festival of the Assamese people who live in eastern India. The celebration falls on April 15, and the first day is called Goru Bihu, which translates as “Cow Festival.”
• Diwali is one of the main holidays in India, which many call the “autumn New Year”. It is celebrated at the end of October - beginning of November in different parts of the country.

India is also amazing because you can visit the past, present, and future in one state. This is due to the fact that the country has several chronology systems. One of the most popular calendars here is the Samvat calendar. The coming year 2017 according to it is 2074-2075. The Gregorian calendar is also widespread; publishers of many magazines and books rely on it. But according to the Unified National Calendar, adopted more than half a century ago in order to streamline chronology, 1939 will soon come in India.

Traditions and customs of Indian New Year holiday

Although all celebrations have different traditions and rituals, they are celebrated brightly, cheerfully, on an unprecedented scale. No wonder in India itself big holidays are called festivals. If the family prefers a quiet dinner with family and friends, then vegetarian dishes flavored with spicy seasonings are usually placed on the table. The local population believes: the more spices, the happier and more joyful the coming year will be. The traditional New Year's dish here is rice with vegetables.

Getting rid of old things is a custom that is common not only in Italy, but also in India. Clothes and shoes, as well as furniture and other household items, fly from the windows.

Attention! Walking under the windows at this time is dangerous!

In some Indian states, outdated wardrobes are burned, in others they are simply thrown away. It is better not to lift other people's things - it is considered to be bad luck.

In southern India, this tradition is popular: mothers put gifts, fruits and sweets for their children on a special tray. In the morning, on the first day of the new year, children are brought to him. So that the child does not see ahead of time what is prepared for him, he must sit with his eyes closed and patiently wait for his turn.

Residents of the northern states celebrate the New Year by decorating themselves with flowers - white, purple, pink, red, and in the central part of the country orange dominates. During the day you can see bright flags of this shade everywhere, and at night you can admire the twinkling lights on the roofs.

Another ritual that is common in Central India is the burning of an effigy or a decorated tree. Role Christmas tree What plays here is not a coniferous plant at all, but a mango or banana. On festival days, you can see costumed carnival processions, take part in competitions where they determine best shooter from a bow. Right on the streets, folk theater actors perform episodes from Indian epics and skits telling about the life of the gods. And also in new year holidays in India they really like to release into the sky kites. People believe that if you make a wish during the launch, it will definitely come true.

There are also special traditions that are typical for specific holidays:

• Lori is something between Maslenitsa and Old New Year: during the holiday, a fire is lit, and in the morning children go around houses, sing songs and demand a “ransom” (money or sweets);
• Diwali, the festival of lights, is celebrated by lighting many lanterns. Also on these days, they try to please the goddess of wealth Lakshmi: they pray to her and offer milk with coins dropped into it;
• On the day of Gudi Padwa, one can see village houses smeared with cow dung. And a festive meal is not complete without the bitter leaves of the neem tree: by eating them, Indians hope for health and well-being.

Walking on coals, jumping over a fire, religious dancing - all these traditions also accompany the New Year celebrations in India. If you want something not authentic, but modern, it is better to go to Goa. This popular one offers guests a sea of ​​electronic music, many discos and meeting tourists from different countries. But in any case, regardless of time and place, the New Year in India is always a bright, unforgettable event, a holiday that, in the diversity of its traditions, is certainly not like any other.

Traditions of New Year celebrations in India: video

India is an ancient country that attracts tourists from all over the world. Everyone comes here in the hope of finding something of their own: someone dreams of the luxury of Bollywood, someone in search of spiritual balance studies ancient practices in ashvems, someone is attracted by nature’s generous colors. But India always leaves a mark on the soul of everyone who was familiar with it. Most tourists come to winter months- at this time it is high season here. Celebrating the New Year on the shores of the Indian Ocean is truly exotic. So what is he like? Indian New Year?

Let's begin with New Year in India It is celebrated more than once, but all because there are several calendars in effect here: there are about ten official ones. And each of them has its own calendar, and therefore a starting point.

So, Hindus celebrate the New Year in March, September, November. But don't worry: India was once a colony of the British, who introduced the Gregorian calendar. It is still in effect, so if you want to celebrate the New Year traditionally on December 31, you will meet it with all honors, albeit somewhat exotic.

Hindus love holidays as much as we do and they prepare thoroughly for the New Year. You definitely need to dress up the cow and decorate the home paper lanterns and homemade stars, and some even manage to find a miniature artificial Christmas tree- after all, it is a European holiday and some attributes are firmly entrenched here. Most best gift is a basket filled with fruits, sweets and nuts. Not a single feast is complete without the national dish - beriane, similar to our pilaf.

Residents of northern India decorate themselves with flowers - pink, red, purple or white. The streets in the central part of the country are full of orange flags, which are hung on almost every building. As darkness falls, lights come on everywhere, and New Year's Eve In the city square, local residents burn an effigy - thereby saying goodbye to the outgoing year.

On March 21, the day of the vernal equinox, Hindus celebrate another New Year - Vishu. The custom of giving gifts is interesting: the rich congratulate their poor relatives, and they, in turn, gratefully accept gifts without giving anything in return. Also on this day, it is customary to tell fortunes in the Ramayana - opening pages at random and reading the verses that come across. The celebrations are noisy: Hindus take to the streets in new clothes and perform traditional songs and dances. In some villages, residents wear skirts made of banana leaves and masks and perform a ritual, thereby attracting good luck and expressing gratitude to the god Krishna.

For us, the classic New Year and Vishnu are the most popular options, but some population groups have their own New Year holidays. Thus, Punjabis celebrate New Year in June, and Bengalis in April. On the first day of the new year, all residents of Bengal must bathe in the river, washing away the sins accumulated over the previous period.

If you find yourself on New Year in India, be sure to visit the Taj Mahal - a mausoleum-mosque built by a descendant of Tamerlane in memory of his deceased wife. In addition, the Taj Mahal is included in the list of the Seven Wonders of the World. An equally interesting excursion to the holy city of Varanasi, located on the banks of the Ganges River. This is one of the oldest cities on earth, where you can see mass bathing of pilgrims in the Ganges and the sunrise against the backdrop of centuries-old temples. You can also go to the village of Hampi in Goa, which is an important Hindu center and where there are many monuments of Hindu culture. The Ajanta Caves will also amaze you; they appeared in the second millennium BC and are still perfectly preserved.

Christmas holidays spent in India will give a lot of vivid impressions and colorful photographs will help you understand ancient culture of the Indian people, to become imbued with their identity and philosophy. And for sure, India will call you again, because once you let this country into your soul, you will never forget it.

The country is simply amazing in its diversity. It intertwines many religions, classes, traditions and rituals. How New Year is celebrated in India - shining example of how diverse one holiday can be.

Indian society is known for its religiosity. Muslims and Christians, Buddhists and Hindus coexist quite peacefully here. None of these religions makes any mention of such a holiday as the New Year, therefore, according to Hindus, there was no need to celebrate it. Only recently, under the influence of the West, did people in India begin to consider the date January 1 as a holiday.

Since the traditional New Year has no religious roots, there are no strict canons for its celebration. For young people, this is more of a social holiday, which they prefer to spend in restaurants and nightclubs with friends. Many companies arrange corporate parties, in the best Western traditions.

The New Year is celebrated with the greatest solemnity in regions where Christians predominantly live. More than a quarter of the population of Goa, for example, are Catholics, so everything here is almost “our way.” Entire carnival processions take place on a scale typical for India. On the streets there are archery competitions, competitions and fairs, kite flying, walking on coals and jumping over fires.

The role of the New Year tree in India is played by the mango tree. Except traditional toys, it is decorated with fruits and vegetables. On the eve of the holiday, many Hindus burn or throw away old clothes to celebrate the New Year in new clothes. It is customary to serve dishes generously strewn with spices. The spicier the food, the happier the next year will be. A must-have dish is beriane, which is rice with vegetables, or simply pilaf.

As New Year's gifts, in India it is customary to present sweets, fruits, and nuts. But as the first day of the New Year passes, so will you spend the rest of it. Therefore, on January 1st, all Hindus are in in a great mood behave extremely politely and correctly towards loved ones and others.

What date is New Year in India?

It would seem, what kind of question is that? However, the beauty is that you can celebrate it several times. If you were unable to visit the country on January 1, don’t worry, you will have at least three more opportunities to celebrate the New Year in India. And if you constantly move to different provinces, even more. The diversity of religions and chronologies has led to the fact that different regions The arrival of the New Year is considered to be completely different dates.

Lori (January 13-14)

Celebrated in Northern India, it is a kind of mixture of the familiar “old New Year” and Maslenitsa. On this day, fires are lit, around which a ritual circumambulation is performed - parikrama. After the ritual, immediately cooked corn and baked rice are distributed to everyone present. In the morning, after the holiday, it is time for carols, children visit neighboring houses, sing songs and receive money or sweets for it.

Lunar New Year (March-April)

In many states of India, the Lunar New Year is considered the real one and is celebrated on a much larger scale than the traditional one. It is called differently: Ugadi, Vaisakhi, Vishu... Some begin to celebrate it on the day of the spring solstice (March 20-22), others - in mid-April, when real spring comes.

The fun continues for several days, during which, according to tradition, it is customary to present gifts, honor gods and cows (the sacred animal of India), organize carnivals and have fun in every possible way. The brightest holiday takes place in the state of Kerala, and the longest-lasting state is Kashmir, where celebrations begin on March 10 and last for more than a month.

Diwali (October)

Some people in India consider this particular New Year to be the real one, while others call it nothing more than “autumn” to distinguish it from the previous, spring one. It is considered a holiday of fire and light, so it is very colorful and bright. Thousands of lanterns and candles light up on the streets, even the Ganges is filled with boats with lights, fireworks sound almost continuously...

The celebration continues for several days, during which Hindus praise the goddess of prosperity Lakshmi, congratulate each other and have fun. Unlike the traditional New Year, this holiday is considered more homely, which is usually celebrated with family.

Thus, it is unlikely that anywhere else in the world they celebrate the New Year in India. If you remember again eastern calendar and the Muslim 1st Muharram, then India can safely be called the most New Year's country planets.

New Year in India: bright photos and video, detailed description and reviews about the New Year event in India in 2019.

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The New Year on December 31st is celebrated in India not so long ago, and this explains the absence of any local traditions associated with it. The holiday came from Europe, it is purely secular, since it is not mentioned in any of the religions present in the country. It is celebrated mainly by young people; large companies, like many countries in Europe and the New World, organize corporate events.

Of all the religious faiths, Christians love New Year the most in India. For example, there are many Catholics in Goa, so holiday events quite large-scale.

The New Year in India is different from the European one. For example, here they decorate not a Christmas tree, but a mango tree, and not with toys, but with vegetables and fruits. Most popular gift- sweets. New Year's treats in India are heavily flavored with spices - it is believed that the spiciness of the dishes is directly proportional to the amount of happiness in the coming year. Main course festive table- “berians”, in other words, pilaf, which can be meat or vegetarian.

Indians believe that the year will be the same as its first day. For this reason, on January 1, they are extremely complacent and try their best to be calm, well-fed and happy.

In addition to the New Year, which is celebrated in India, trying to “keep up” with the whole world, there are many more holidays, one way or another connected with the onset of next year. For example, on the night of January 14, in the north of the country they celebrate Lori, something between the Old New Year and Maslenitsa: they burn scarecrows, cook corn and rice on this fire, walk around the fire and eat what is cooked.

Lunar New Year comes in the spring and is what most Indians celebrate. In some states, carnivals and celebrations last up to a month. In October there is another New Year, Diwali, also known as the “festival of fire,” which is celebrated with fireworks and the streets are decorated with lanterns and candles.

And these are just the most mass holidays, in fact, there are even more of them, therefore, the New Year in India can be celebrated at almost any time of the year.