Facts of Christmas

Each year, 30-35 million real Christmas trees are sold in the United States alone. There are 21,000 Christmas tree growers in the United States, and trees usually grow for about 15 years before they are sold.

Today, in the Greek and Russian orthodox churches, Christmas is celebrated 13 days after the 25th, which is also referred to as the Epiphany or Three Kings Day. This is the day it is believed that the three wise men finally found Jesus in the manger.

In the Middle Ages, Christmas celebrations were rowdy and raucous—a lot like today's Mardi Gras parties.

From 1659 to 1681, the celebration of Christmas was outlawed in Boston, and law-breakers were fined five shillings.

Christmas was declared a federal holiday in the United States on June 26, 1870.

The first eggnog made in the United States was consumed in Captain John Smith's 1607 Jamestown settlement.

Poinsettia plants are named after Joel R. Poinsett, an American minister to Mexico, who brought the red-and-green plant from Mexico to America in 1828.

The Salvation Army has been sending Santa Claus-clad donation collectors into the streets since the 1890s.

Rudolph, "the most famous reindeer of all," was the product of Robert L. May's imagination in 1939. The copywriter wrote a poem about the reindeer to help lure customers into the Montgomery Ward department store.

Construction workers started the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree tradition in 1931.

janmashtami Fasting For Lord Krishna

Janmashtami has almost arrived. The much awaited Hindu festival is celebrated worldwide with lots of joy, enthusiasm and vigour. Janmashtami marks the birth of Lord Krishna. Many cultural programs and events are organised to celebrate Janmashtami. 

There are many spiritual practices and customs that are followed during Janmashtami. For example, fasting is very common to observe this Hindu festival. Also known as Janmashtami vrat, fasting is observed for 24 hours by devotees of Lord Krishna. During Janmashtami fasting, people either eat fruits or do not eat anything and survive just on water till they offer prayers at midnight. 

It is believed that Lord Krishna was born at 12 in the midnight. This is the time when devotees offer prayers to the naughty 'mahan chor' and then break their fast. Lord Krishna was known for His sweet tooth so, devotees make sure that they prepare lots of sweets and desserts. They offer it to the deity and then have it as 'bhog'. 

Fasting is mostly observed during Janmashtami to chant His name, remove impurities from body, mind and soul. Devotees spend their vrat day by chanting bhajans and taking name of Krishna. It is also done to celebrate the birth of Lord Krishna, and is also considered as an offering to Bal Gopal. There are 2 most common types of Janmashtami fasting that are observed by Lord Krishna devotees on this auspicious Hindu festival. 

Types Of Janmashtami Fasting: 

Phalahar Fast: Also known as Phalahar vrat, it is one of the most common types of Janmashtami fasting. The person refrains from cereals, grains, salt and rice. Only buckwheat flour and potatoes are prepared once in the day. The phalahar is consumed midnight after offering prayers and bhog to Krishna. The person can eat fruits and drink milk before sunset. 

Nirjal Fast: 

This is a strict type of Janmashtami fasting where the person refrains from water as well. The devotee doesn't eat or drink anything until midnight Janmashtami Puja is performed, and the bhog is offered to the deity. 

Significance of Janmashtami fasting: It is believed that Janmashtami fasting is thousand times beneficial than Ekadashi vrat. Lord Narayan incarnated midnight on this day.When Yudhishthira asked the benefit of Janmashtami vrat, Lord Krishna replied, "One observing fast on Janmashtami will never lack wealth, food and fame." It is said that couples must abstain from sex on this day. 

What to prepare during Janmashtami fasting? Lord Krishna has a fetish for sweets, especially milk sweets. You can break your fast by eating a sweet dish that is prepared with milk or khoya (coagulated milk). Other dishes will be prepared without onions and garlic in it. Phalahar fasting will be broken with kutta ki roti (buckwheat flour roti), boiled potato with tomato sabji (without normal salt, onions and garlic).

Krishna Janmashtami Katha

snake Kaliya on Naga Panchami day

Nag Panchami is dedicated to the worship of Nagas, or Snakes, and is an important festival in India in Shravan month (July – August). Nag Panchami 2013 date is august 10.  In 2013, it is highly auspicious as it falls on Monday dedicated to Shiva – one who is associated with Naga or serpents. Nagas are worshipped in Hindu religion and snakes are always depicted with Vishnu and Shiva, two of the most popular Gods in Hinduism. Hindu God Vishnu lies on Snake Ananta in the milky ocean and  Shiva has snakes as ornament and this close association has deep symbolic meaning.

Naga Panchami in Various Parts of India
Naga Panchami is observed in eastern parts of India on all the fifth day in Ashar and Shravan lunar fortnights 

The most important Naga Panchami, which is observed through out India, falls on the fifth day of the Shukla Paksha (waxing phase of moon) in Shravan month.

The Karnataka the festival is known as Nagara Panchami - in Shravan Month.  

In Gujarat, the festival is observed 15 days later.

In Andhra Pradesh, the most popular festival associated with Nagas is the Nagula Chavithi in Kartik Month. 

In Kerala, it is observed on the Ayilyam Nakshatram in certain months in Malayalam Calendar

Nag Panchami Fasting
Hindus observe Naga Panchami Vrata on the day – fast during the daytime and eat food only after sunset. Some Hindu communities avoid salt and deep fried food on the day. In western part of India certain Hindus fast on NagaChaturthi day, which falls a day before.

Some Hindu communities in South India have an elaborate oil bath on the day. There is a belief that unmarried women who undertake Naga Panchami Vrat and do the puja to Nagas will get good husbands.

Popular belief is that Sri Krishna defeated snake Kaliya on Naga Panchami day.

The monsoon season is at its peak during the period (July – August) and snakes move out of their burrows, which are filled with water, and occupy spaces frequented by human beings. So it is widely believed that Naga Panchami is observed to please the Nagas and avoid snake bites during this season.

In many places, paintings of two snakes are drawn on both sides of doors using cow dung on the day. Five-hooded idols are worshipped in many regions. The idol of five-hooded snake is made using mud, turmeric, sandal and saffron.

Caution - Snakes Do Not Drink Milk

During Nag Panchami, some people also decorate snake pits, known as Valmeekam or Puttu. Snake charmers also bring cobras to villages and towns which are fed with milk by devotees. Such practices should not be encouraged as it endangers the life of snakes.

Forcefully feeding snakes, pouring milk into snake pits and bursting crackers should be discouraged. This only leads to the death of snakes. Snakes don’t drink milk but the practice has been encouraged by popular beliefs.

Worship of Nagas is a constant reminder to humans to live in harmony with Nature. And the ideal way to worship Nagas is by protecting the forests and grooves that are home of snakes and other animals – this in turn protect us and makes our life comfortable.

eid mubarak pics

International Friendship Day

History

Friendship Day was originally promoted by Joyce Hall, the founder of Hallmark cards in 1930, intended to be 2 August and a day when people celebrated their friendships by sending cards. The second of August was chosen as the centre of the largest lull between holiday celebrations. Friendship Day was promoted by the greeting card National Association during the 1920s but met with consumer resistance - given that it was her too obviously a commercial gimmick to promote greetings cards. By the 1940s the number of Friendship Day cards available in the US had dwindled and the holiday largely died out there. There is no evidence to date for its uptake in Europe; however, it has been kept alive and revitalised in Asia, where several countries have adopted it.
In honor of Friendship Day in 1998, Nane Annan, wife of UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, named Winnie the Pooh as the world's Ambassador of Friendship at the United Nations. The event was co-sponsored by the U.N. Department of Public Information and Disney Enterprises, and was co-hosted by Kathy Lee Gifford.
Some friends acknowledge each other with exchanges of gifts and cards on this day. Friendship bands are very popular in India, Nepal, Bangladesh and parts of South America.With the advent of social networking sites, Friendship Day is also being celebrated online.The commercialization of the Friendship Day celebrations has led to some dismissing it as a "marketing gimmick". But nowadays it is celebrated on the first Sunday of August rather than 30 July. However, on 27 July 2011 the 65th Session of the United Nations General Assembly declared 30 July as "International Day of Friendship".
The idea of a World Friendship Day was first proposed on 20 July 1958 by Dr. Artemio Bracho during a dinner with friends in Puerto Pinasco, a town on the River Paraguay about 200 miles north of Asuncion, Paraguay.
Out of this humble meeting of friends, the World Friendship Crusade was born. The World Friendship Crusade is a foundation that promotes friendship and fellowship among all human beings, regardless of race, colour or religion. Since then, 30 July has been faithfully celebrated as Friendship Day in Paraguay every year and has also been adopted by several other countries.
The World Friendship Crusade has lobbied the United Nations for many years to recognise 30 July as World Friendship Day and finally on 20 May, General Assembly of the United Nations decided to designate 30 July as the International Day of Friendship; and to invite all Member States to observe the International Day of Friendship in accordance with the culture and customs of their local, national and regional communities, including through education and public awareness-raising activities.

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