Hindu Festivals

culture · religion · celebration · tradition

Lights and Joy. Diwali is one of the biggest Hindu festivals, celebrated with glowing oil lamps, fireworks, and sweets to welcome light and goodness over darkness and evil.

Spring's New Start. Holi, the festival of colors, marks the arrival of spring and is celebrated by throwing colorful powders and water on friends and family to symbolize new beginnings and joy.

Stories Come Alive. Many Hindu festivals celebrate ancient stories about gods and goddesses, with people acting out these tales, singing songs, and gathering to remember important spiritual lessons.

Two Calendar Systems. Hindu festivals follow either a solar calendar tied to the sun's position or a lunisolar calendar based on the moon, which is why the dates change from year to year on Western calendars.

Regional Differences. Different parts of India and the Hindu world celebrate their own special festivals, so a celebration important in one region might be less known in another.