When we say festival of lights, a lot is said about the Indian festival of Diwali and its grandeur. But there are other festival of lights too. Here is a list of othe top 5 festivals of light!
Hanukkah, Jewish Festival
Hanukkah is the most important of all Jewish functions and is the festival of lights for the jewish community. The celebrate this by lighting the ‘menorah’. Menorah is the specially shaped candle stand that can hold 8 candles. A festival of 8 days, one candle is lit a day and the lighting of all candles ono day 8 commemorate the completion of the Hanukkah. The festival is to remind people of the miracle that happened in the 2nd century when the Judean Maccabees revolted against the Seleucid Empire. The Maccabees though had supplies to light the menorah for just one day but miraculously the menorahs continued to burn for 8 days giving them enough time to find supplies. This festival generally is celebrated generally around the same time as Christmas in the month of December that coinciding with the holiday season in western nations.
Lantern Festival, China
Lantern festival of China is one that is admired throughout the world and one attracts lot of tourists from across the globe. Red lanterns are lit across cities that beautify the cities. The festival is celebrated to honour Lord Buddha. The festival was first initiated during the period of Han dynasty where the emporer set the practise of lighting lanterns on the 15th day of the first Lunar month after observing the Buddhist Monks.
Loi Krathong, Thailand
The name of the festival translates to ’Float a Basket’ in Thai. The rivers and the skies of Thailand are lit beautifully during this festival that is celebrated on the 12th day of the Lunar Thai calendar which falls in the month of November. The lanterns are of Lanna style, a kingdom that prospered between 13th and 18th centuries. The festival is celebrated in the neighboring countries as well that were once part of the Lanna Kingdom.
Festival of Lights, Lyon
The festival is celebrated on the 8th of December every year in honour of Mother Mary of Jesus Christ. The festival goes on for 4 days where the entire city is lit with vibrant colours and the people celebrate with music too. Recently the festival has also been attracting good number of tourists to the city. The practise of lighting the city started in 1852 and it continues till this day and in much more grand manner. The above functions though not celebrated exactly like the spectacle of Diwali in India but are equally grand in their very own way.
