The Social Importance of Festivals

Festivals are like the weekends of life. They provide us the much needed respite from the humdrum activities of day to day living. In the fast paced modern world of today, when personal relationships and family time has become secondary in the race for life, holidays bring us a chance to take a breath and focus on the more beautiful and sentimental things in life. They give us ample time to reflect on our priorities and focus on our personal lives. They are like a refreshing break from hard toil and they provide rest and bring cheer onto us. They are also opportune moments for spending time with family, friends and loved ones.  

Festivals have always been a part of human culture since time immemorial. They often serve to meet specific purposes such as commemorations or thanksgiving. Or festivals may be a special occasions of feasting and celebration with a religious or agricultural focus.  They are rooted in the social and cultural life of the community.  Festivals are usually centered on some unique aspect of that community and its traditions. They record the patterns of cultural change, promote communal harmony and broaden our cultural horizons.

In Ancient civilizations, festivals were closely associated with social organization and political processes. Festivals are associated with celebrations and merry making which served as a source of entertainment in the absence of mass-produced activities like cinema and theatres. These celebrations offered a sense of belonging for groups of people with shared interests and identity.

Like all other cultures in the world, India too has its fair share of traditional festivals.  They are a unique part of the rich culture and traditions of the country. Rakshabandhan is one such festival of India which has been celebrated from ages. It is unique it that the celebration focuses on the special bond of love between brothers and sisters. On the day of the festival, sisters tie sacred threads or rakhis on the wrists of their brothers. The rakhis bind the siblings to an everlasting relationship of care and commitment. It is also a tradition for the brothers to present their sisters with gifts in return for the rakhis. On the instances when they are not able to be there in person the gifts for rakhi are usually sent through postal or courier services. Nowadays with the rise of internet gift portals it has become relatively easy to arrange an online rakhi delivery in India from any part of the world.