FAMILY AND FESTIVALS - ESSENTIAL POINTS

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• Family is a group of people living together in a house.
• Mother and father are parents.
• Brothers and sisters are called siblings.
• Family members care for each other and all members of family help each other in their work.
• We get love, affection, help, care, joy etc. from the family.
• Surname is a name shared in common to identify the members of family.
• Our parent’s parents are our grandparents.
  Maternal Grandparents: Parents of Mother
  Paternal Grandparents: Parents of Father
  Types of families
  1. Small family or Nuclear family
     Father, mother and one or two children make a small family or nuclear family.
  2. Single parent family
     A family where children are brought up by either the father or mother is called single parent family.
  3. Large family
     Father, mother and three or more children make a large family.
  4. Joint family
     • A family with parents, grandparents, uncles, aunts and cousins living in one house is called a joint family.
     • Aunts are sisters of mother or father and also wives of uncles.
     • Uncles are brothers of mother or father.
     • Cousins are children of uncles and aunts.

     We should love our family members. We should help and take care of every member of family.

• Relative is a member belonging to our family.
• Outdoor activities are those activities that are done outside the house. Example, cycling, football etc.
• Indoor activities are those activities that are done inside the house. Example, carom-board, chess, table tennis, listening to radio, watching TV etc.
• Birthday, wedding and puja are family occasions.
• Langar is a community occasion.
• Recreation is enjoyable leisure activity.
• People in India celebrate different festivals.
• Festivals are time for fun and enjoyment.
• Festivals bring us joy and happiness.
• On festivals people wear new clothes, eat special food and meet their friends and family.
• Festivals are celebrated at different months of the year.
  Types of festivals
  There are 3 kinds of festivals celebrated in India
  
  1. National festivals
     There are three national festivals: Independence Day, Republic Day and Gandhi Jayanti. We feel proud and happy to celebrate them.
     Dr. SawapalliRadhakrishnan’s birthday is celebrated as Teacher’s day on 5^th September
     1. Independence Day
        Independence day is celebrated on 15^th August every year. On this day India got its freedom from British rule in 1947. Prime minister hoists the National Flag at Red Fort in Delhi on this day. We all remember the freedom fighters of our country.
     2. Republic Day
        Republic day is celebrated on 26^th January every year. India became a republic and our constitution came into force on this day in 1950. The National Flag is raised and National Anthem is sung. Grand parade takes place in Delhi. President of India takes salute of the parade.
     3. Gandhi Jayanti
        Gandhi Jayanti is celebrated on 2^nd October every year. It is the birth day of Mahatma Gandhi, who is also known as the Father of the Nation. He is fondly called Bapu.
  2. Religious festivals
     People of different religions live in India and celebrate different festivals like Diwali, Eid, Gurpurab, Christmas etc.
     1. Diwali
        Diwali is one of the main festivals of Hindus. It is also known as ‘festivals of lights’. It is celebrated to mark the return of Lord Rama to Ayodhya after an exile of 14 years. People clean and decorate their houses. People wear new clothes and burn crackers. Goddess Lakshmi is worshiped on this day.
     2. Eid
        Eid is important festival for Muslims. It is celebrated after holy month of Ramzan. Muslims keep fast for 30 days. They go to offer prayers (Namaaz) in mosques.Meethisewaian are made during Eid.Eid is celebrated in year as Eid-ul-Fitr, Eid-ul-Zuha and Eid-ul-Milad.
     3. Gurpurab
        Gurupurab is main festival of Sikhs. It is celebrated to mark the birthday of their gurus on this day. People go to gurudwaras to offer their prayers ans services. They read verses from the Guru Granth Sahib.Langar is a community lunch and is prepared and serves in gurudwaras. It is celebrated 10 times a year on birthday of 10 gurus. Guru Nanak was the first Guru of the Sikhs.
     4. Christmas
        Christmas is celebrated on 25^th December every year as birthday of Jesus Christ. Churches and houses are decorated. People greet each other by saying ‘Merry Christmas’. Children believe that Santa Claus brings gift for them at night.
  3. Harvest festivals
     Harvest is the main time when crops get ripe. After harvesting, people sell their crops and get money. The celebration is known as harvest festival.
     1. Lohri
        Lohri is celebrated on 13^th January mainly in North India, especially in Punjab. A bonfire is lighted around which people dance. Corn and sugarcane are used in celebration.
     2. Bihu
        Bihu is the biggest festival of Assam. It is celebrated at 3 different times of year – spring, autumn and winter.
     3. Pongal
        Pongal is celebrated in Tamil Nadu. It is celebrated for 3 days in January. People worship the Rain God, Sun God and Mother Cow. A special dish called Pongal rice is made from newly harvested rice and jiggery.
     4. Onam
        Onam is celebrated in Kerala in august or September to honour king Mahabali’s return. People decorate elephants and exciting boat races are main attractions of Onam.
  4. Holi is festivals of colors.
  5. During Dussehraeffigies of Ravana along with brother Kumbhkaran and his son Meghnath are burnt.Dissehra is celebrated on 10^th day of Navaratra.