India :

India is a land of festivals and fairs. Every day of the year there is a festival celebrated in some part of the country. Some festivals welcome the seasons of the year, the harvest, the rains, or the full moon. Others celebrate religious occasions, the birthdays of divine beings, saints, and gurus (revered teachers), or the advent of the new year. A number of these festivals are common to most parts of India. However, they may be called by different names in various parts of the country or may be celebrated in a different fashion.

Diwali, the popular festival of Indians, celebrates the return of Lord Rama and Sita from exile. Diwali is also called as the festival of lights. It usually falls between 15 th October and 15 th November. It is celebrated because on that day hundreds of years ago lord ram returned home to Ayodhya after 14 years of being into exile. It also celebrates the day Mother Goddess destroyed a demon called 'Mahisha' & Victory of Good over evil. The day is celebrated by lighting lamps, diyas, visiting relatives, feasting, and displaying fireworks.

Other Festivals in India

The word festival means feast day, festive celebration. As kids, when there used to be festivals the only thing that came to our minds was holidays and sweets that in turn meant lots of fun. India being a society of may religions there are a lot many festivals. For the Hindus there is diwali, for the Muslims there is id, for the Christians its Christmas and for the Parsis it 's the New Year and apart from all these days there are two other days that are celebrated by all Indians irrespective of cast, creed or sex. Yes, its 26 th January and 15 th August. i.e. republic day and the Independence Day.

	Dusshera in India is another festival celebrated by the Hindus. It marks the victory of good over evil. On that day lord ram killed the evil Ravana. On dusshera an effigy of Ravana is burnt at many places.
	Ramzan Id is the most important festival in the Muslim calendar. A month long fasting and prayers is followed by Ramzan Id. It 's said that during this month all the prayers and wishes of an individual comes true.
	Bakri Id is another important festival for the Muslim community. On this day a goat is slaughtered as a sacrifice to "ALLAH". It is one of the most auspicious occasions for our Muslim brothers.
	Christmas marks the birth of Jesus Christ on 25 th December every year and is an inseparable part of Christians all over the country and the world. Santa Claus, gifts, cakes, cookies, and the beautifully decorated Christmas tree with a midnight mass depicts he beginning of Christmas. Easter is another important festival for Christians. It 's usually falls in the month of March or April. 40 days fast is followed by Good Friday and Easter. On this day Jesus Christ rose from the dead and ascended into heaven. Easter eggs and Easter bunnies are a major attraction during Easter.
	Parsi New Year is one of the most important days in the Parsi community. It marks the beginning of a New Year filled with joy and prosperity.
	15 th August is celebrated by all Indians because on this day in the year 1947 India received independence from the British rule in India.
	Holi is another festival that is celebrated by all communities. It 's a festival of colours. It marks the beginning of summer season and so water balloons are burst to beat the heat.

Some other festivals that are celebrated happily all over the country are Onam, Baisakhi, Pongal, Mahavir Jayanti, Buddha Jayanti, Guru Purnima, Raksha Bandhan, Krishna Janmashtami, Gandhi Jayanti, Kumbh Mela, Children 's day, Ganesh Chaturthi and many many more festivals.

Festivals bring joy and happiness in our lives. If we celebrate all festivals alike we can spread the message of joy, happiness, brotherhood and humanity among one another and live as one family and community.