Haley: “What rituals do you practice?”
Gandhi: “Hindu rituals are known as Samskaras and they are often integrated into community life. Different sacred texts describe various Sanskaras and the often do not agree on how many there are. The most widely accepted number is sixteen. These sixteen rituals are often seen as ‘rites of passage’ for the Hindu community (Das). I am only going to detail a few for the sake of time. Garbhadhana, Punswana, and Seemantonnayana are the rituals that cover the conception and pregnancy, in which prayers are offered to various gods regarding the health and safety of the child. Jatakarma is performed after the child is born. The child is given a ‘secret name’ and a taste of honey (“The Sixteen Hindu Samskaras”). …show more content…
I will discuss some of the general ones with you. The first is Holi. Holi is celebrated in February and March to welcome spring and celebrate the destructions of demons. Holi is dedicated to lord Krishna. During Holi, ‘caste and taboo restrictions are set aside and pleasure is emphasized’ (Hopfe 105). Divali is celebrated in November to welcome the New Year. This holiday is connected with Kali and Lakshmi. Devotees may chose to make pilgrimages to holy sites that are ‘connected to the story of Kali’ and put lamps outside of their houses so Lakshmi will bring them prosperity and good fortune (Hopfe 106). The final one we will discuss is Dasehra. Dasehra is celebrated for nine days in October. It commemorates Durga’s victory over the Buffalo demon. Gifts are exchanged during this time and ‘procession are held to honor the goddess’ (Hopfe …show more content…
Therefore, there are many holy days and festivals. In order to save time, I will only discuss the festivals recognized by most Buddhists. The New Year is celebrated by Thravada Buddhists in April. During this time, Buddhists cleanse themselves and prepare for the New Year. They also rededicate themselves to ‘the Buddhist way of life’ (Hopfe 147). The next holiday that is celebrated is my birthday, which is celebrated on April 8th in China and Japan and on the last full moon of May in Southeast Asia. Japanese Buddhists hold flower festivals during this holiday, while others wash statues of me in my infancy to ‘honor the gods that bathed [me] after [my] birth’ (Hopfe 147). The Festival of Souls is celebrated in July or August. During this time, Buddhists believe that the gates of ‘purgatory are opened and the souls of the dead are able to wander about the world’ (Hopfe 147). Finally, in November, Theravada Buddhists celebrate the ‘sending forth of the first Buddhists missionaries in the days of Asoka’ (Hopfe 148). This holiday is known as the Robe Offering because new yellow robes and other gifts are given to regional
Gandhi: “Hindu rituals are known as Samskaras and they are often integrated into community life. Different sacred texts describe various Sanskaras and the often do not agree on how many there are. The most widely accepted number is sixteen. These sixteen rituals are often seen as ‘rites of passage’ for the Hindu community (Das). I am only going to detail a few for the sake of time. Garbhadhana, Punswana, and Seemantonnayana are the rituals that cover the conception and pregnancy, in which prayers are offered to various gods regarding the health and safety of the child. Jatakarma is performed after the child is born. The child is given a ‘secret name’ and a taste of honey (“The Sixteen Hindu Samskaras”). …show more content…
I will discuss some of the general ones with you. The first is Holi. Holi is celebrated in February and March to welcome spring and celebrate the destructions of demons. Holi is dedicated to lord Krishna. During Holi, ‘caste and taboo restrictions are set aside and pleasure is emphasized’ (Hopfe 105). Divali is celebrated in November to welcome the New Year. This holiday is connected with Kali and Lakshmi. Devotees may chose to make pilgrimages to holy sites that are ‘connected to the story of Kali’ and put lamps outside of their houses so Lakshmi will bring them prosperity and good fortune (Hopfe 106). The final one we will discuss is Dasehra. Dasehra is celebrated for nine days in October. It commemorates Durga’s victory over the Buffalo demon. Gifts are exchanged during this time and ‘procession are held to honor the goddess’ (Hopfe …show more content…
Therefore, there are many holy days and festivals. In order to save time, I will only discuss the festivals recognized by most Buddhists. The New Year is celebrated by Thravada Buddhists in April. During this time, Buddhists cleanse themselves and prepare for the New Year. They also rededicate themselves to ‘the Buddhist way of life’ (Hopfe 147). The next holiday that is celebrated is my birthday, which is celebrated on April 8th in China and Japan and on the last full moon of May in Southeast Asia. Japanese Buddhists hold flower festivals during this holiday, while others wash statues of me in my infancy to ‘honor the gods that bathed [me] after [my] birth’ (Hopfe 147). The Festival of Souls is celebrated in July or August. During this time, Buddhists believe that the gates of ‘purgatory are opened and the souls of the dead are able to wander about the world’ (Hopfe 147). Finally, in November, Theravada Buddhists celebrate the ‘sending forth of the first Buddhists missionaries in the days of Asoka’ (Hopfe 148). This holiday is known as the Robe Offering because new yellow robes and other gifts are given to regional