FESTIVALS AND HOLIDAYS GALORE

 

When it comes to public holidays we Indians top the list. With so many cultural, religious and civilization strings intertwining in our society we have festivals and celebrations at the drop of a hat. As if these were not enough we commemorate the birthdays of departed leaders and public figures by declaring a holiday in their name! But leaving all these established holidays aside there are some very strange local holidays which may be perfect working days in other parts of our country. Let me give you only six examples: 

 

1	Hemis Festival	23rd-24th June	Hemis Monastery in Leh
2	Dahi Handi, Janmashtami	2nd September	Mathura, UP, Maharashtra
3	Rural Olympics, Kila Raipur	2nd, 3rd, 4th, February	Kila Raipur Village, Near Ludhiana
4	Onam	August - September	Kerela
5	Matho Nagrang Festival	1st and 2nd March	Matho Nagrang Monastery (Leh)
6	Sao Joao	24th June	Goa

The Hemis Festival is celebrated to honour the founder of Tantric Buddhism in the country of Tibet, Guru Padmasambhava.The lamas adorn beautifully designed large size masks (see above). Every mask represents a different character such as wizard, slayer of demons, Guru Trapko, Yama (God of Death), Guru Padmasambhava, Demons among others. The dances depict the triumph of good over evil.

 

The Dahi Handi is a modern-day representation of the annoying yet adorable habit of Lord Krishan who was notorious for stealing freshly made butter stored in earthen pots, prepared by the village belles. Celebrated in Mathura in Uttar Pradesh and all over Maharashtra it is a cacophony of colours, music, pyramid building to reach the earthen pot filled with butter and hanging from a massive height!

 

Rural Olympics in Kila Raipur are so popular that locals and sports enthusiast around the world eagerly await this festival, and more than 4000 sportsmen participate in it each year. Non-sporting events held during the Rural Olympics include the likes off, tractor, camel, dog racing, horse dancing, pulling of bikes and cards with one’s teeth, riding cycles that have been set ablaze.

 

 The Matho Nagrang Festival has monks performing masked dances. They adorn beautifully robes made with the most beautiful quality silk and elaborate brocades. The mask represents the various god and goddesses worshipped at the monastery. A striking feature of the festival is a special appearance by two oracles. These oracles emerge from month-long isolation and mediation. Masked dancers accompany them into the monastery courtyard where they predict the future. Locals and visitors from far off places come to the festivals just to seek their advice and blessings.

 

In Viva Sao Joao young men and children all jump in various Goan water bodies and retrieve gifts thrown in by villagers. Young girls of marriageable age too throw fruits, vegetables and flowers into the water for the fulfillment of their wishes. And because it is Goa there is a lot of Feni drinking!

 

Onam is a harvest festival of Kerala like Bihu in Assam and Lohri in Punjab but celebrated in August-September. These festivals are to celebrate a bountiful harvest. Onam is a 10-day long extravagant celebration that includes the likes of feasting, dancing to the beats of the Pulikali, a traditional musical instrument and singing. Games such as snake boat races, tug of war etc. are played during Onam.

 

But if you think that we Indians are a bit crazy about these weird holidays you have not seen the world. Whether celebrating a sporting event that no-one else cares about, commemorating a slice of history that happened elsewhere or offering an excuse to tuck into some darned good fruit, the world offers us some rather strange public holidays. Some are a basic excuse for a party, others rather more solemn, but here are a few of the weirdest.

 

AFL Grand Final Eve in Victoria, Australia

The AFL Grand Final may be one of Australia's biggest sporting occasions, but does the state really need a public holiday on the Friday before to get everyone prepared for it? Either way, the good people of Victoria were happy to go along with it, if only as an opportunity to go out on the Thursday night and not worry all that much about alcohol consumption levels.

 

Melbourne Cup Day in Victoria, Australia

The holiday on the day of the Melbourne Cup was originally designed to honour the Prince of Wales' birthday. But in 1875, the Melbourne Cup was shifted to from a Thursday to Tuesday in order to coincide. It proved popular, and Victorians soon decided they cared more about the horses than the prince. It was only in 1993, however, that the first Tuesday of November was permanently enshrined in state law as a public holiday.

 

Royal Hobart Regatta Day in Tasmania, Australia

The Tasmanians too declare public holidays for parochial sporting events. Big chunks of Tasmania take the second Monday of February off to celebrate the Royal Hobart Regatta. Well, in theory, anyway. Practically nobody cares about the yachting – it's just an excuse for an extra day off work.

 

Dragon Boat Festival Day in Hong Kong

Hong Kong takes one day off for the Dragon Boat Festival. This takes place on the fifth day of the fifth month on the Chinese calendar, which is generally around May or June. It starts to make more sense when you realise there's a long-standing Chinese tradition of warding off bad luck on this day. The dragon boat races came much later – but became such a focal point that the public holiday took their name.

 

Melon Day in Turkmenistan

Turkmenistan is a prodigious producer of musk melons. And, in 1993, it was decided that this must be celebrated. So, a public holiday was declared, and it has been held on the second Sunday of every August since. The date was picked because that's around the time the favoured varietal of melon ripens. Capital city Ashgabat is the best place to celebrate Melon Day, with plenty of open-air tasting sessions. 

 

Flag Day in Argentina

A holiday celebrating a flag might seem a bit weird, but Argentina's flag is seen as a symbol of independence. It was first raised on February 27, 1812, but the national holiday takes place on June 20. That's because the creator of the flag, Manuel Belgrano died on that date in 1820. The biggest celebrations take place in the city of Rosario, where the flag was initially raised.

 

Hangul Day in South Korea

Hangul Day celebrates the invention of the Korean alphabet. This alphabet is rare in that there is historic record of exactly when it was introduced – back in the 15th century, courtesy of King Sejong the Great. When the Korean government tried to remove the holiday from the calendar there was enough public uproar to ensure it was reinstated in 2013.

 

Day of Silence in Bali

The Day of Silence, or Nyepi, is designed as a day of self-reflection, and anything that would get in the way of that reflection is restricted. That means all types entertainment, working, travelling and even going to the beach are out. Tourists are expected to stick to the rules and stay confined to their hotel for the entire day. The dates change according to the Balinese calendar, but it takes place in March.

 

Columbus Day in the US

A United States federal holiday, Columbus Day celebrates the arrival of Christopher Columbus in the Americas. The strange part is that Columbus, a Genoese explorer sponsored by the Spanish Crown, never set foot in what is now the US. The first landing in the Americas was in the Bahamas. What's more, the US rarely celebrates Columbus Day on the actual anniversary. It should be October 12, but the public holiday has been assigned to the second Monday in October, just to make it a long weekend.

 

Oil Nationalization Day in Iran

Many countries have pretty dry-sounding public holidays based around centuries-old battles, but Iran goes one step further, giving a day off for the anniversary of the nationalisation of the country's oil industry. Don't expect too many carnival parades for this one. The exact date is based on the Solar Hijri calendar, but tends to fall in mid-to-late March.

 

You cannot expect Iran to be more interesting just as you cont expect Australia to be less sporty or India to be less colourful. The holidays and festivals depict the character of the respective nations!!