From the desk of the Managing Editor--October 30
The Diwali, celebrations are continuing across the country, and it is heart warming to note that we live in a multicultural nation where all cultures are embraced and celebrated. In the week gone by, we had Diwali celebrations in Wellington, Christchurch and Manukau. We have reports and beautiful pictures from the events. Last week also saw Dussehra being celebrated for the first time in New Zealand with the burning of a 25 foot Ravana effigy. It may not be wrong to say that the Indians are truly getting into their element.
There are a few more Diwali celebrations that are lined up, and we will continue to bring reports from these. In addition, there are other celebrations that are coming up. The one big celebration that comes around this time of the year is Karva Chauth—a beautiful celebration of love, where the women fast and offer prayers for a long and prosperous life of their husbands/partners. Last year we had run a story and rightfully called it the Indian Valentine's Day. There are many legends and stories that talk about the origins of this festival, however like most other traditions, this has also evolved over time. However, what continues to be the highlight of the festival is all the pre-festive preparations that the women seem to enjoy—the shopping, the jewellery, the henna and so forth. Then the very trying fast for the entire day—it is something that I am sure all men immensely admire and appreciate what the women do for them. It then becomes imperative that the men do take time out and pay extra attention to their wives/ partners and cherish and treasure them.
The other celebration that is coming up is Halloween. Halloween’s origins date back to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain (pronounced sow-in). The Celts, who lived 2,000 years ago in the area that is now Ireland, the United Kingdom and northern France, celebrated their new year on November 1. This day marked the end of summer and the harvest and the beginning of the dark, cold winter—a time of year that was often associated with human death. Celts believed that on the night before the new year, the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead became blurred. On the night of October 31, they celebrated Samhain when it was believed that the ghosts of the dead returned to Earth. In addition to causing trouble and damaging crops, Celts thought that the presence of the otherworldly spirits made it easier for the Druids, or Celtic priests, to make predictions about the future. For people entirely dependent on the volatile natural world, these prophecies were an important source of comfort and direction during the long, dark winter (Ref History.com). The tradition travelled to America with the immigrants and Halloween has also evolved over time. Today it seems that a major chunk of the total candy sales is achieved during this time. It’s a pleasure to see little children go "trick or treat", all dressed up in their Halloween outfits.
While all the celebrations and tricks and treats are ongoing, on behalf of the Indian Weekender family I hope that our readers are getting a lot of family time or making an effort to find time with their families, this festival season. We will continue to bring you reports and updates from around the country and keep the celebrations going.
The Diwali, celebrations are continuing across the country, and it is heart warming to note that we live in a multicultural nation where all cultures are embraced and celebrated. In the week gone by, we had Diwali celebrations in Wellington, Christchurch and Manukau. We have reports and beautiful...
The Diwali, celebrations are continuing across the country, and it is heart warming to note that we live in a multicultural nation where all cultures are embraced and celebrated. In the week gone by, we had Diwali celebrations in Wellington, Christchurch and Manukau. We have reports and beautiful pictures from the events. Last week also saw Dussehra being celebrated for the first time in New Zealand with the burning of a 25 foot Ravana effigy. It may not be wrong to say that the Indians are truly getting into their element.
There are a few more Diwali celebrations that are lined up, and we will continue to bring reports from these. In addition, there are other celebrations that are coming up. The one big celebration that comes around this time of the year is Karva Chauth—a beautiful celebration of love, where the women fast and offer prayers for a long and prosperous life of their husbands/partners. Last year we had run a story and rightfully called it the Indian Valentine's Day. There are many legends and stories that talk about the origins of this festival, however like most other traditions, this has also evolved over time. However, what continues to be the highlight of the festival is all the pre-festive preparations that the women seem to enjoy—the shopping, the jewellery, the henna and so forth. Then the very trying fast for the entire day—it is something that I am sure all men immensely admire and appreciate what the women do for them. It then becomes imperative that the men do take time out and pay extra attention to their wives/ partners and cherish and treasure them.
The other celebration that is coming up is Halloween. Halloween’s origins date back to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain (pronounced sow-in). The Celts, who lived 2,000 years ago in the area that is now Ireland, the United Kingdom and northern France, celebrated their new year on November 1. This day marked the end of summer and the harvest and the beginning of the dark, cold winter—a time of year that was often associated with human death. Celts believed that on the night before the new year, the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead became blurred. On the night of October 31, they celebrated Samhain when it was believed that the ghosts of the dead returned to Earth. In addition to causing trouble and damaging crops, Celts thought that the presence of the otherworldly spirits made it easier for the Druids, or Celtic priests, to make predictions about the future. For people entirely dependent on the volatile natural world, these prophecies were an important source of comfort and direction during the long, dark winter (Ref History.com). The tradition travelled to America with the immigrants and Halloween has also evolved over time. Today it seems that a major chunk of the total candy sales is achieved during this time. It’s a pleasure to see little children go "trick or treat", all dressed up in their Halloween outfits.
While all the celebrations and tricks and treats are ongoing, on behalf of the Indian Weekender family I hope that our readers are getting a lot of family time or making an effort to find time with their families, this festival season. We will continue to bring you reports and updates from around the country and keep the celebrations going.
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