This document provides information on several Hindu, Sikh and Christian festivals celebrated in India: - Diwali is celebrated on a new moon night in October/November to commemorate Lord Rama's return to Ayodhya after defeating Ravana and the Pandavas return from exile. Sikhs celebrate Guru Hargobind's release from jail. - Holi is celebrated in March to mark the killing of the demoness Holika and the end of winter. - Raksha Bandhan celebrates the bond between brothers and sisters irrespective of caste or creed. - Dussehra marks the culmination of a 10 day celebration of the victory of good over evil. -

1. DIWALI
 Diwali is a major festival of India. It is celebrated on a new moon
night sometime in the months of October and November. The
exact day of the festival is decided according to the Hindu
calendar.
 According to popular legend, when Lord Rama returned from his
14 years of exile after defeating Raavana, the people of
Ayodhya lighted candles and diya to celebrate his return to the
kingdom
 According to other legend, Pandavas from the Mahabharata
returned to their homeland after 13 years and the day is
celebrated to commemorate their return.
 The Sikhs celebrate this day to mark the day of freedom or the
day when their Guru, Guru Hargobind got free from the jail.

2. HOLI
 Holi is a festival of colors, celebrated primarily in
India. The festival falls on the last full moon day of
Falgun according to Hindu calendar.
 It is celebrated sometime in the month of March,
usually in the latter half of the month.
 According to mythology, the festival is celebrates the
killing Holika, the sister of Hrinyakashyapu. The
festival also holds significance with respect to end of
winter season and the onset of summer season.

3. RAKSHA BANDHAN
 Raksha Bandhan is a popular festival
celebrated across the country. Irrespective of
caste and creed people from all walks of life
participate in this festival.
 The festival is also called as Rakhi Poornima,
Nariyal Poornima and Kajari Poornima in
different states and is celebrated differently.

4. DUSSEHRA
 On this day, many of your colleagues in India will
celebrate the culmination of the ten day Dussehra festival.
 It may be known in some regions as Vijayadashami and in
parts of southern India, it is known as Dasara. Other
regional spellings include Dashera and Dussera.
 As this is a ten day festival based on a lunar date with
many important days and also because it has many
different names in the various regions on India, it is
difficult to determine when each region has a holiday.

5. CHRISTMAS DAY
 Christmas is an annual holiday of Christians that
commemorates the birth of Lord Jesus.
 Christmas Day celebrations include various traditions
such as arrival of Santa Claus, display of nativity scenes,
Christmas trees and exchange of gifts and cards.
 This festival marks the celebration of birth of Lord Jesus
Christ. The name 'Christmas' is originated from the Mass
of Christ i.e. Lord Jesus

6. DURGA PUJA
 Durga Puja for the Bengalis is much more than a festival.
It is a carnival and an emotion that marks the time of
happy tides.
 Families immerse themselves in this five-day gala of
awesome food, pandal hopping, music and cultural
evenings and welcoming Maa Durga back to her paternal
home. Credits: https://wildestman.blogspot.in