Qus: The Halloween is quite popular in West. Do they celebrate it in East and what is the difference in their celebration.
Ans: The halloween is introduced through celtic culture and become quite famous in US and other countries. The attractive colour costume based event is popular in young and children. It is getting quite known in East too where some people follow it ( Western culture) blindly. They have never realise that the halloween in respectable and better sense is already celebrated in East.
Ok! while west is occupying with the idea of halloween, the east has "SHRADH". Have you heard of "Shradh" ?
Nowadays simultaneously both have period of "Shradh" 'श्राद्ध' and Halloween. In Shradh, East is remembering forefathers and praying for better after life journey, doing charities in their memory. This word "SHRADH" has originated from "Shardha" - श्रद्धा - a Sanskrit word which literally means Faith. The Shradh is an act that is performed with all sincerity and faith. It is the ritual that one performs to pay homage to one's ancestors, especially to forefathers and dead parents, grand parents etc. It is to express heartfelt gratitude and thanks towards their ancestors and praying for their peace. It is a day of remembrance.
And simultaneously West is busy with Halloween, thinking dead as haunted ghosts hovering in area, scaring and bullying people and children and they should light fire and wear such type of dresses to ward off ghosts and dead ones as at the end of summer, it is thought the barrier between our world and the world of ghosts and spirits got really thin and they get enter to our world to mistreat and bully us. They believe it is the time when ghosts and spirits come out to haunt, and they would fearfully try to appease the spirits by offering them treats so that they could be ward off from humans.
The purpose of this is not to denouce any culture as East is not all that saint and West is not all that devil. The ill-customs exist in both cultures. The comparison is just to make it understand that one should choose wisely. That free will is the power of human mind.
.. - Arun Sharma
No comments:
Post a Comment