Holy days? Holidays? Lovely days?

Oh my god! The holidays are about to end! Let me enjoy these last moments in the best possible way: let me play as much as I can, let me eat as much as I can... And then you finally realize that you haven't completed your 'holiday homework!'
Yeah, we've all been through that! This love, devotion, and affection for the holidays, wrapped in wonder, compels the writer to write about it in the best possible way.

Before moving on...

I would like to deliver a big thank you to Laura Pruett for creating this amazing challenge and inspiring a writer to capture her joyous moments!

It's Holy Days for me!

In my country (India), most of the holidays are centered around festivals. Therefore, I call them 'Holy Days.' The celebrations and memories create an everlasting impression that we cherish for years to come!

Three festivals that give you most holydays are as follows. .

Festival of lights : Diwali...!!

According to the most popular legend from the hindu epic Ramayana, Diwali marks the day when Lord Rama, Devi Sita and Lakshmana returned to Ayodhya after 14 years of exile.

Diwali is a festival of 4 days!

Marked by festive fervour, Diwali is a time when friends and families meet, exchange gifts and enjoy eating delicious meal. Before festival gains its momentum, one month prior to it deep cleaning of houses is a must! And guess what, one month prior to Diwali, our family fell terribly sick but my mom was persistent and made us indulge in the deep cleaning process and finally at the end our house was sparkling clean and we were healthy again!

Day 1

Dhanteras marks the beginning of the 4 days long Diwali celebrations.After a day of cleaning the house, people worship Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth to bless them with prosperity in the coming year.They also worship Kuber the treasurer of wealth.It is said that buying gold jewellery and new utensils on this day helps bring good fortune.

Day 2

The main festival, the festival of lights and lamps - Diwali, is celebrated on the second day. Firstly, homes are decorated with beautiful rangolis. They look something like this:

Then after the sunsets, goddess Lakshmi (goddess of wealth) and God Ganesha ( Worshipped as remover if obstacles) are worshipped. The puja is followed by feasting and burning crackers.

Day 3
The day after the Diwali is celebrated as Gowardhan puja by some communities in the north, west and the central regions honouring the legend of hindi God, Krishna who lifted the Goverdhan mountain to save the cowherd and farming communities from incessant rains and floods triggered by Lord Indra's anger.

Day 4

The last or the 4th day of the festivities is marked by celebrating Bhai Dooj (brothers day). It is also known as Bhau Beej, Bhai Tilak or Bhai Phonta. It celebrates the sacred bond between a brother and sister. The sister puts a tilak on her brother’s forehead while the brother gives her a gift to show his love.

• What does my tummy adore?!

1. Suran Aloo Ki Sabji: This is a curry made with suran (also known as elephant yam) and aloo (potatoes). The yam has a unique, slightly earthy flavor, and when combined with potatoes and spices, it creates a hearty and flavorful dish often served with puris or rice.
2. Puri: Puri is a type of deep-fried bread made from unleavened wheat flour dough. It is typically puffed up when fried and is commonly served with various side dishes.
3. Kheer: Kheer is a traditional Indian dessert made from rice, milk, and sugar. It’s typically flavored with cardamom, saffron, and garnished with nuts such as almonds and cashews. It’s a rich, creamy dish enjoyed as a sweet ending to the meal.
4. Various Sweets: Diwali is famous for its wide range of sweets, including ladoos, barfis, pedas, and gulab jamun. These sweets are typically made from ingredients like flour, sugar, milk, ghee (clarified butter), and nuts, and are often infused with flavors like cardamom, saffron, or rosewater.

Festival of fertility: Chhat Puja

Chhath Puja is a 3 days of elaborate celebration in honour of the Sun. It involves a long fast without water, and making offerings to Usha and Pratyusha -the light of the rising and the setting Sun respectively -while standing in a water body.

Mother Aditi gave birth to Surya (The sun God)as a son on the sixth day of Kartika (November) . Chhath Puja emphasizes sun gazing at dawn and dusk. Scientifically, these times are ideal for safe sun exposure due to lower UV radiation levels. The sun’s angle during these periods allows for beneficial light exposure without the harmful rays, allowing devotees to safely draw physiological and psychological benefits from sunlight. After this fasting the reproductive system becomes more fertile

Day 1 - Nahaye khaye

This day marks the beginning of 36 hours of long fasting without food and water. The devotees dedicate themselves to spiritual cleansing. This fast is observed by mothers for the long lives of their children.

Moreover, all the materials required for worship are bought. This includes, all the winter fruits, flowers , diyas ( lamps) , et cetera.

On this day, lauki dal and rice are traditionally eaten for lunch. Lauki dal is a comforting dish made with bottle gourd (lauki) cooked in a spiced lentil base, paired with rice. This combination is light, nutritious, and satisfying. The day ends with your favorite dinner of kheer and puri. Kheer is a creamy, sweet rice pudding flavored with cardamom, saffron, and often garnished with nuts, while puri is a deep-fried, puffed bread that complements the kheer perfectly. This meal is both wholesome and indulgent, making for a delightful way to end the day.

Day 2 - Kharna
This day involves series of rituals highlighting devotion and self discipline. On this day offerings are made to the pratyusha ( the setting of the sun). After the devotional offerings, Arghya ( of water ) is given to the setting of sun in the riverbank.

Arghya is something like my brother is giving while my mom prays to the goddess of growth and fertility, in the video below :

Day 3 - the fast finally ends!!

The devotees wake up before the sunrise and take bath and get ready to pray and give the morning Argha ( of milk) to the rising sun.

After the prayers, the ladies apply sindoor to each other's foreheads.Sindoor is a traditional red or orange-red powder that Hindu women apply along the parting of their hair, typically as a symbol of marriage. Something like this:

• What does my tummy loves to devour?!

Thekua is made from simple ingredients like wheat flour, jaggery (or sugar), ghee (clarified butter), and cardamom. The dough is prepared by mixing these ingredients, and the mixture is then shaped into small round or oval discs. These discs are deep-fried until golden and crispy.

This is my friend pleading me to get thekua if possible but little did he know that I devoured them all!!!!

Festival of colours : Holi

Did you ever feel like bathing in colours or just playing with them! If yes, lucky for you, holi is the festival with comes with 2 days of joyful and awesome holydays.

Day 1 - Holika dahan

• The story behind. .

Holika Dahan is a key ritual during the Hindu festival of Holi, symbolizing the victory of good over evil. The story behind this tradition is rooted in Hindu mythology, particularly the tale of Prahlad, his father Hiranyakashipu, and the demoness Holika.

According to the legend, Hiranyakashipu was a powerful demon king who was granted a boon that made him invincible—he could not be killed by man or beast, inside or outside, during the day or night, or by any weapon. With this newfound power, Hiranyakashipu became arrogant and demanded that everyone worship him instead of the gods. However, his son Prahlad was a devotee of Lord Vishnu, which angered the king.

Despite his father's repeated attempts to make him renounce his faith, Prahlad remained devoted to Lord Vishnu. In a fit of rage, Hiranyakashipu ordered his sister, Holika, who had a special cloak that protected her from fire, to sit with Prahlad in a blazing fire. Holika believed that the cloak would protect her, but the divine will intervened. As Holika sat in the fire with Prahlad, the cloak flew off her and covered Prahlad, saving him, while Holika was burned to death

Therefore on this day ubtan is massaged all over your body and then it is burned in the bonfire representing holika ( the evil) there by emphasizing the burning of the evil and negativity. Sarso (mustard) ubtan is a traditional natural skincare remedy made using mustard seeds (sarso) as the main ingredient. It helps in improving blood circulation, cleansing the skin, and promoting a healthy glow.

Day 2 - Holi

Colours that shape our life,

Colours that bring a joyous smile to our life,

Colours that fills your life with love

With compassion,

And with gratitude.

On this day, people get wild with colours. The whole atmosphere turns colourful. Either you are thrown in a big pool full of colours or you are doomed with those water guns also known as pichkari!

And if your face is coloured with Gulal coloured powered which usually gets a imprint on your face if you wash it, then you will have to live with a colourful face for a few days!

• What does my tummy adore?!

1.Gujiya
Gujiya is a deep-fried pastry, typically filled with a mixture of sweetened khoya (reduced milk), nuts, and sometimes dried fruits. It is often made during festivals like Holi and Diwali.

2.Jackfruit Curry
The jackfruit curry is usually prepared with onions, tomatoes, ginger, garlic, and a variety of Indian spices like turmeric, cumin, coriander, and garam masala, giving it a rich, flavorful base.

3.Malpua
Malpua is a traditional Indian sweet, often made with a batter of flour, sugar, and coconut (sometimes with bananas), fried into pancakes, and soaked in syrup. It is usually served as a dessert or during festive occasions.

With heavy heart.. You are coming closer to the end of this read..

As much as I enjoyed writing it, I hope you enjoyed reading it too. The challenge mentions three, but I am willing to write more! I am happy to write about how I was the first one to get a dashing look on Eid in order to devour those tasty meals, or how my friend and I were the only Santas to devour all the chocolates that we bought for others. If you are willing to read more about lovely holydays, then do tell me in the comments. I will be very grateful to write about it. Bye bye, and thank you for reading :)!