New SBI unit 14 Festivals
Valentine’s Day February 14th, Valentine’s Day, is sweethearts’ day, on which people in love with each other express their tender emotions. People sometimes put their love message in a heart-shaped box of chocolates, or a bunch of flowers tied with red ribbons. Words or letters may be written on the flower covered card, or something else. Whatever the form may be, the message is almost the same —“ Will you be my valentine?” The symbol of valentine is a picture with a Heart and Cupid armed with bow and arrow. Many universities, high or elementary schools hold a sweethearts’ Ball for the young students to celebrate Valentine’s Day.
Bon Odori Festival (Ghost Festival) Japanese has been looking upon Ghost Day Ceremony originating in Buddhist Ullambana. These two festivals were not only public holidays with enthusiastic festivities but also times when people gave presents to each other and enhance amity between them. The custom of giving presents might root in the transfer from the kind-heartedness of giving alms to the concern for the living families and friends. The Japanese also hang lanterns on July 15 to lead the spirits back to the earthly world and have them enjoy grand banquet. It is like our custom of releasing water lanterns and firing lanterns. Besides, they hold a “pot” ceremony, called “pot-reciting”, which praises Buddhist sutras, singing and dancing, receiving the departed spirits and sending away the solitary ghosts. Today, there are various scales of “pot ceremony” all over Japan, which is kind of an amusement gathering. However, current Ghost Day Ceremony is not full of gloomy atmosphere in its form, remaining only enjoyable sentiment in spite of the existing original meaning.
Halloween 1,000 years ago, the Celts living in the Great Britain believed that human is mastered by gods. They also believe that Samhain, the death god, would come back to the earthly world with the dead at the night on October 31. The Celts built bonfires and fired animals as sacrificial offerings to the death god. Some Celts were dressed in costumes made from animal heads or furs, which was the origin of contemporary Halloween masquerade. The night of the death god was a horrifying time that signified www.xuehuiba.com
the coming of winter and was the beginning of Halloween eve. Today, the religious meaning of Halloween has been weakened; instead, the holiday expresses man’s cherishing memory of Halloween via innovative, ever-changing modern masquerade.
Day of the Dead, Mexico On November 2nd, each house roasts bread of animal forms, broiling chicken, hot chocolate and sweet corns, plus laying some toys on the altar because Mexicans believe that the dead children will come back to their own homes in the midnight. The altar for the dead elder is stocked with belongings of the merriment as they do; therefore, their Ghost Festival is just like a carnival when people walk around with masks, eating skull-shaped candies. And even a ghost image is put on the bread. In the evening, the whole family goes to the cemetery and clears the grave. Women praise all night in kneeling or sitting position while men are talking or singing. The flickering midnight candlelight is filling up the cemetery whereas walking singers are chanting for the dead Spirits.
Easter Easter, with its religious character, falls on the first Sunday after the full moon that occurs on or after March 21st. Therefore, Easter happens sometimes in March, and sometimes in April. It commemorates the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the tomb where he had lain for three days following his Crucifixion. His rise after three days indicates that he would accomplish his promise to rise again from the dead as proof of eternal life. As Christ’s return to life had occurred during the season of spring, some of the rites of Spring were still retained. Therefore, we see that although Easter is based on the events in the life of Christ, it has been influenced by older traditions. For example, the custom of dyeing eggs is still very popular among American children. Originally the egg symbolized fertility for the ancient Persians and Greeks who exchanged eggs at their spring festivals. But up to the Christian time, the egg symbolized the tomb from which Christ rose. For Christian lamb is the symbol of the sacrifice of Christ and pig the symbol of good luck. That is why both in Europe and in America, people have lamb and ham as their main meat on Easter Sunday. In all the spring season, people enjoy the Easter message of hope, joy and the resurrection of spirit.
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