I wish all of you, your families and friends Happy New Year 2012, full of happiness, good health and plenty of wealth!
Here is a video of Sydney Harbor New Year celebrations fireworks that you may enjoy!
Krishna
Showing posts with label festivals. Show all posts
Showing posts with label festivals. Show all posts
Sunday, January 1, 2012
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Halloween: Why pumpkins are so special?
Pumpkins have become unavoidable during the Halloween season, especially in North America, for carving jack-o'-lanterns. But interestingly, the poor (but fat or obese) pumpkin got into the fray of a competitive Halloween add-on accidentally. It had no role in Halloween in the early history of the celebrations.
But, other vegetables such as the turnip, mangelwurzel, or swede (a type of Swedish turnip) were traditionally used for carving lanterns throughout Britain and Ireland. Also, until 1837 jack-o'-lantern did not appear as a term for a carved vegetable lantern, and the carved lantern did not become associated with Halloween until 1866.
As carving jack-o'-lanterns and use of it as a Halloween lantern occurred in not in Britain or Ireland, but in North America, Historian David J. Skal writes: “Although every modern chronicle of the holiday repeats the claim that vegetable lanterns were a time-honored component of Halloween celebrations in the British Isles, none gives any primary documentation. In fact, none of the major nineteenth-century chronicles of British holidays and folk customs makes any mention whatsoever of carved lanterns in connection with Halloween. Neither do any of the standard works of the early twentieth century.”
It just happened that in the United States, the carved pumpkin was first associated with the harvest season in general, long before it became an emblem of Halloween. It has also been recorded that pumpkins were easy to cultivate in the United States, and the size of them were significantly larger than their cousins in the British Isles or Europe, where the Celtic festival has its roots.
Firstly, because of their large sizes and cheap prices, it was easier to carve lanterns on pumpkins than on the traditional turnips or swede. So, someone probably experimented with the poor plumb pumpkin and others followed suit. And they, instead becoming an alternative, became the main vegetable for carving jack-o'-lanterns.
And then, there was the reverse flow of culture and tradition, as the old West started aping the New West, and now in European countries and other areas where Halloween is celebrated the Pumpkin is the King of Vegetables during the Halloween season!
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Burlesque star Miss Dirty Martini at HOWL Festival
Burlesque star Miss Dirty Martini at the 2009 HOWL! Festival in New York City's East Village, photos by David Shankbone.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Women wrestlers during Mysore Dasara Festivals
Photo: Women wrestlers taking part in the traditional ‘Nada Kusti’ - Wrestling competitions (national level) during Dasara Festivals at D. Devraj Urs mutlti-purpose stadium, Mysore.
Mysore Dasara (Dusshera), also called as Navaratri, is the state festival Karnataka. It is a 10-day festival, the last day being Vijayadashami, which symbolizes victory of truth over evil and it was the day when Goddess Chamundeshwari killed the demon Mahishasura. According to legend, the name Mysore has been derived from the name Mahishasura. The Dasara celebration was first started by the Vijayanagar Kings in 15th Century.
The Mysore Palace is lit up on all the 10 days of Dasara. On Vijayadashami day, Jumboo Savari, the traditional Dasara procession is held on the streets of Mysore city.
Colorful tableaux, dance groups, music bands, decorated elephants, horses and camels form a part of the procession which starts from Mysore Palace and ends at Bannimantap where the banni tree (Prosopis spicigera) is worshipped.
Another major attraction during Dasara is the Dasara exhibition which is held in the exhibition grounds near the Mysore Palace. This exhibition goes on till December. Various stalls in the exhibition which selling articles such as clothes, kitchenware, cosmetics, souvenirs, and art items attract a significant number of visitors from India and foreign tourists.
On all the 10 days of Dasara various music and dance concerts are held in auditoriums in Mysore city, in which musicians and dance groups from all over India perform. Another attraction during Dasara is wrestling competitions which attract wrestlers from all over India.
Monday, August 9, 2010
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Gasparilla Festival: big hair rules!
One of my Gasparilla Festival (Tampa Bay) costume ideas-big hair rules!, originally uploaded by The Travel Slut.
The author of this imaginative photo says what you see above is one of her Gasparilla Festival (Tampa Bay) costume ideas - big hair rules! She adds, "I am working on ideas for Tampa's annual Gasparilla Festival and this may work as part of a pirate wench theme... I did not use this exactly but something close... Of course, it works for Fantasy Fest and Hedonism resort trips also!"
An update from Ann: "My Gasparilla costume photo is always popular because in boots I'm over 7 feet tall. :-) Ann
Friday, April 30, 2010
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Monday, March 22, 2010
Friday, February 26, 2010
Happy Holi - wallpaper
This wallpaper shows Krishna and Radha, as they are often portrayed in Indian calendar art. It has the Hindi words 'Holi ki shubh kaamnaein' meaning 'Best wishes for Holi' inscribed on it. It is customary for many people to buy and sell greeting cards like this during the celebrations.
Holi is traditionally celebrated at the end of the winter season on the last full moon day (Phalgun Purnima) of the lunar month Phalguna (February/March), which can fall in late February or early March. In 2009, Holi (Dhulandi) was on March 11 and Holika Dahan was on March 10.
Colours for Holi celebration
The Hindu festival of clours, Holi, is a popular spring festival observed in India, Nepal, Srilanka, and other countries with Indian populations, such as Suriname, Guyana, South Africa, Trinidad, UK, USA, Mauritius, and Fiji. In West Bengal of India and Bangladesh it is known as Dolyatra (Doul Jatra) or Basanta Utsav (spring festival). The most colourfully celebrated Holi is that of the Braj region consisting of Mathura, Vrindavan, Nandagaon, and Barsana, locations linked to the legends of Lord Krishna. These places have become popular tourist and pilgrimage destinations during the festive season of Holi, which lasts here to up to sixteen days.
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