Today India is celebrating Raksha Bandhan or "Rakhi" as it is sometimes called. We are not celebrating the holiday here in our household this year since Micah is still so young. However, this is one of the Indian holidays we would like to incorporate into our family as Micah grows older. It is a little overwhelming thinking about how we are going to raise Micah as an American and trying not to single him out, yet all the while teaching him about his birth culture and heritage and incorporating some of it into our family. There will be certain traditions and holidays that we choose to not celebrate for faith reasons of our own, but Rakhi will be one that we do celebrate in the future because we love what it stands for! I have included a short description of the holiday below.
Raksha Bandhan, also known as “rakhi,” is a festival that strengthens and celebrates the precious bond shared between a brother and a sister. The Raksha Bandhan festival is all about love, care, and righteousness. It brings together people of all sects and is much appreciated for this unifying element that it brings with it. Rakhi signifies a bond of love and care between a brother and his sister and contributes toward the social harmony of India.A sister ties a decorative thread called rakhi on the wrists of her brother symbolizing her love and affection for him. She ensures that she has chosen the brightest and the best-designed rakhi for her brother. Raksha Bandhan actually means a bond of protection, so the brother accepts the rakhi, vows to protect his sister during all times from harm that could befall her and in turn, confirms his love and affection for his sister. He also showers her with gifts.
Tying of a frail rakhi thread—that is considered stronger than iron chains—has been the tradition of this festival since time immemorial. It is a family event where all members of family, dressed in finery, gather and celebrate. The tying of rakhi is followed by a family feast.
Happy Raksha Bandhan everyone!
6 comments:
Thanks for sharing this, Candice. I too am trying to think of how to incorporate the culture of India. So, please keep your ideas coming! :)- Traci G.
We had a blast with our celebration. As the kids get older they ask more questions and are so naturally curious, that it is fun to share.
I'll post eventually :)
Kristy
Happy Day! We are going to celebrate this one too! We're a bit late this year due to crazy mid-week schedules but my boys are soooo looking forward to it (they read all about it in 'Bringing Asha Home' and are so excited it is their turn!)
Although she has no brothers, we celebrated Rahki last night with cousins. It is a wonderful celebration that is so so fun!
Julie R
This is a very cool holiday :) I hope we can celebrate it soon ;)
We did our celebration with string bracelets and candy. :o) The kids really enjoyed it, and it was very sweet. Like Kristy, I'll post about it . . . eventually!
-- Nancy
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