Rakhi (Rakshabandhan) Traditions from Indian History

Rakshabandhan is a unique festival of India. It has been celebrated for ages and is still hugely popular today.

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On the occasion of Rakshabandhan, brothers and sisters pray for the well being of each other, and wish them happiness and goodwill. The sisters perform an aarti ceremony before their brothers and then tie the sacred thread Rakhi, on their wrists. The Rakhi was traditionally a simple cotton or silk thread usually woven at home, but nowadays the markets are flooded with ready-made Rakhi threads in fancy designs. The Rakhi is the most significant part of the festival and Rakshabandhan is also popularly known as Rakhi festival. In Indian traditions, the Rakhi has a very important place. It is considered that when a woman ties the thread on anyone, he naturally becomes honor bound to treat her like his real sister and safeguard her from all harm. Many instances from Indian history illustrate this glorious tradition. Rani Karnawati, the widowed queen of Chittor sent a Rakhi to the Mughal emperor Humayun when the kingdom of Chittor was being attacked by Bahadur Shah. Touched by this gesture, Humayun is said to have set out immediately with his army to aid the queen of Chittor. Even Alexander the Great during was protected in battlefield by an honor-bound King Porus after he was tied a Rakhi by Alexander’s wife.

The tradition of helping and safeguarding is an act of the pledge taken by the brothers to keep and protect their sisters from all harm in return of the Rakhis. Traditionally it was only the brothers who present their sisters with gifts, but these days the sisters’ too present gifts to their brothers. The custom of gifts is very important and brothers everywhere, make sure their sisters receive the most delightful gifts on the occasion. And even when they cannot be present in person they still send Rakhi gifts for sister through postal or courier services.

Nowadays, there are also numerous shopping websites providing Rakhi delivery services to destinations all over the country and the world. The web portals feature varied Rakhi gift ideas for sister from where one can choose the best gifts and send them to their siblings for Rakshabandhan.

Candles and Cake Traditions on Birthdays

Birthdays are always a grand and happy affair with lots of celebrations and feasting. It is a day of wishes and gifts. On the occasion of birthdays, a birthday party is often convened in honor of the celebrant. And we could not imagine a birthday celebration without the presence of a cake as it is the main highlight of the celebrations. People usually order lavish and elaborate cakes on birthdays. The cake is often decorated with lit candles indicating the age of the boy or girl celebrating their birthdays. The celebrant blows off the candles in front of all the guests and makes a silent wish.  He or she then cuts the cake and offer it to a loved one after which each and everyone share a piece of the birthday cake. Thus the birthday cakes are integral to the occasion.

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The origins of the birthday cake can be traced back to the Middle Ages and from Germany. The Germans used to celebrate a festival called Kinderfest on the occasion of their children’s birthdays. The celebrations involved cakes even though the cakes of that time were only a coarse, bread-like product. And the traditions of birthday candles are considered to have originated out of Ancient Greece. The Greeks used to honor Artemis, the goddess of the moon with round cakes filled with lit candles. The candles on the cake were symbolic of lunar light and the smoke drifting from the candles were the carrier of their wishes and prayers to the Gods who lived above.

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Nowadays the traditions are followed almost all over the world by different cultures and the birthday cake too has become a popular gift item. From its humble origins, the cake has now risen to the status of being the most versatile of all food items. They are now available in different shapes, sizes and flavors such as butterscotch, vanilla and the ever popular chocolate. The rise of designer and photo cakes has provided opportunities for personalizing these cake gifts. With new technology and advanced printing techniques, it is easy to get any image imprinted on the surface of a cake. These photo cakes are immensely popular on birthdays as personalized birthday cakes with an image of the celebrant are most apt and fitting tributes for the occasion. These unique Birthday cakes are a hit with little children too as they can also be embossed with the images of their favorite cartoon or movie characters.