Festivals of India
The spirit of India comes alive in its festivals. We can divide festivals into three classes : national festivals, religious festivals and social festivals.
National Festivals
Three main national festivals are : Independence Day (15 August), Republic Day (26 January) and Gandhi Jayanti (2 October).
Religious Festivals
People of different religions celebrate different religious festivals. The important ones are the following :
Hindus : Diwali, Holi, Dussehra, Ganesh Chaturthi, Janmashtami, Navratri, Basant Panchami : Pongal, Onam, Durga Puja and many more. Muslims : Eid-ul-Fitr, Eid-ul-Zuha etc. Sikhs : Gurupurabs, Baisakhi etc. Jains : Mahavir Jayanti. Buddhists : Buddha Purnima. Christians : Christmas, Good Friday etc.
Social Festivals
Social festivals like New Year, Teacher’s Day, Mother’s Day, and Earth Day are celebrated by people of all communities together. Some religious festivals have also become social festivals, including Lohri, Baisakhi, and Christmas.