EmbRACE Update - Worldwide Festivals 🌍

Each month of the year, we share information on the many celebrated Worldwide Festivals. Developed by our very own EmbRACE Working Group Colleague, Mandy Kaur, have a read of January's update. Plus take part in our ‘I speak another Language’ Badge survey.

A Happy New Year to you all, I hope you all had a wonderful break. As we start 2023, let’s find out what wonderful festivals the world has to offer as we begin the year.

1^st January 2023  – Ganjitsu – Festival of Light 

 

Some parts of Japan celebrate New Year’s for 3 days! Many people will celebrate with a spring clean, lots of wonderful food and by decorating their houses with straw and paper decorations. Oranges are also hung by the entrance of doors to bring luck. In the evening, a TV programme is shown which hosts the most popular Japanese singers who perform for more than 4 hours! At temples and shrines the Japanese pray for a good year ahead, they buy lucky charms and they try to guess what's ahead thanks to Omikuji (pieces of paper that one chooses randomly) many families will also share presents and postcards with one another.

 

9^th January 2023 – Guru Gobind Singh Ji’s Birthday 

 

The Birth Anniversary of the tenth Guru is very important to practising Sikhs, the tenth Guru instituted the practice of the Five Ks and established the Order of the Khalsa on Vaisakhi (Baisakhi). Many disciples will visit their local temples and attend an akhand path, which is an unbroken reading of the whole of the Guru Granth Sahib, spreads over a 48 hour period.

 

08^th – 14^th January 2023  – Uttarayan – International Kite Festival 

 

The Uttarayan Festival follows from the festival Makar Sankranti which rejoices the change or movement of the earth’s dial around the sun, Zodiac believers call it the transition between Sagittarius to Capricorn, others may call it the new harvest month and as part of that celebration, the Indian state of Gujarat fills the sky with lots of Kites. Houses empty as people gather on their rooftops and open spaces from early morning to late at night, it is truly a spectacular phenomenon to see. When the Kites are flying up high, the aim is to cut down the opponent's Kite but all in good faith and for fun. The days are also filled with lots of fabulous food including traditional Indian sweets made from sesame seeds which symbolise the first harvest coming out of winter.

 

12^th – 22^nd January 2023 - Feria de Boquete, Panama – The Coffee and Flower Festival

 

Boquete sounds very similar to Bouquet that’s right, that’s why during this time, in a small town in ‘The Flower Capital of Panama’ situated in the mountains, the streets are filled with vibrant flower displays, people share their artwork, the air is filled with aromatic coffee and non-stop Latin music, this joyous festival is a true escape from the traditional cold winter month of January! Flowers and Coffee, what more could you ask for this is the festival that provides that bountifully!

 

13^th January 2023 – Lohri  

 

Lohri is a popular winter Punjabi folk festival celebrated primarily in Northern India. Many Punjabi’s all around the world celebrate by lighting a bonfire. It is believed that offering food items to the God of Fire (Lord Agni) on this day helps take away all negativity from life and brings in prosperity and the bonfire symbolises Lord Agni. It is also a particularly auspicious day for newlyweds and families who have recently had a new born baby, they usually walk around the fire (or dance!) as they celebrate new beginnings and pray for prosperity and good luck for the journey ahead. During this time, people share roasted peanuts and sesame sweets by the fire to celebrate the winter harvest.

 

25^th and 26^th January 2023  – Sarasvati Puja– Hindu Goddess of Knowledge 

 

Widely celebrated in North India during the onset of spring when fields are blooming with yellow flowers of the mustard crop.  For Hindus, it is usually linked with Sarasvati, the Hindu goddess of learning and the arts. Mata (Mother) Sarasvati represents singularity, independence, and defiant thought through the rigour of intellect and all things arts, crafts and science. Many of those celebrating will dress in yellow as it is her associated colour and represents new beginnings. During this time, many devotees will rejoice hymns in her name and take the opportunity to adorn their divine statues of the Goddess in new beautiful clothes and jewellery. ‘Sara’ actually means knowledge and ‘sva’ means oneself, and in many of the teachings, self-knowledge is often taught as a key pillar.

 

Chinese New Year – 22nd January – 9th February 2023 

 

The Chinese New year is always based on the lunar cycles, therefore, this year it starts at the end of January and will begin the celebration which lasts for 7 days and as it is considered a public holiday, most offices, banks and shops are shut for this period. Instead, the streets are filled with lots of theatre, performers dancing in a Lion or dragons costume, lots of dancing and fireworks as well as offerings and gift sharing. A lot of people will wear the lucky colour red and adorn their houses with red lanterns to bring in luck for the year ahead! This year is the year of the Zodiac rabbit, the fourth animal in the Chinese zodiac calendar. Those who are born under the year of the rabbit are said to be gentle, quiet, elegant, and alert, skilful  and very responsible!

 

And to end the first article of 2023, just a gentle reminder to our wonderful Bilingual colleagues, that you too could support our very diverse communities, by filling out the below form for your very own language badge.

Don't forget to also share your recent celebrations with us by sending in your pictures to embraceworkinggroup@midcounties.coop