festival - CathNews New Zealand https://cathnews.co.nz Catholic News New Zealand Mon, 04 Nov 2013 06:30:07 +0000 en-NZ hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.7.1 https://cathnews.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/cropped-cathnewsfavicon-32x32.jpg festival - CathNews New Zealand https://cathnews.co.nz 32 32 70145804 Diwali in images https://cathnews.co.nz/2013/11/05/diwali-photographs/ Mon, 04 Nov 2013 18:30:17 +0000 http://cathnews.co.nz/?p=51676

In 2013, Diwali, the festival of lights, was celebrated on Nov. 3 by Hindus, Jains and Sikhs. The word Diwali comes from the Sanskrit deepavali, which means a row of lights. The festival of Diwali symbolizes the victory of light over dark, good over evil and knowledge over darkness. Diwali is one of the biggest Read more

Diwali in images... Read more]]> In 2013, Diwali, the festival of lights, was celebrated on Nov. 3 by Hindus, Jains and Sikhs. The word Diwali comes from the Sanskrit deepavali, which means a row of lights.

The festival of Diwali symbolizes the victory of light over dark, good over evil and knowledge over darkness.

Diwali is one of the biggest festivals in the Hindu calendar and there are multiple reasons why Hindus celebrate this festival.

The most popular narrative, based in the ancient Sanskrit epic Ramayana, is of Lord Rama, his wife Sita and brother Lakshmana returning to their kingdom Ayodhya after defeating the demon king Ravana. On that dark new moon night, the residents of Ayodhya joyfully lit oil lamps to welcome Rama, Sita and Lakshmana back to the kingdom.

Following in that tradition, Hindus celebrate Diwali by lighting oil lamps, bursting firecrackers, cleaning and decorating their homes, distributing sweet delicacies and gathering with friends and family.

In Hindu homes around the world, people gather to offer prayers to Sita and Rama, Radha and Krishna, Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth, Ganesh, the god of auspiciousness.

For many in the Hindu community, Diwali is also the beginning of a new year. A popular greeting around this time is "Shubh Diwali."

In the Sikh tradition, Diwali commemorates the release of Guru Hargobind, the sixth Sikh Guru, who was imprisoned by the Mughal emperor Jahangir.

Continue reading and see images of Diwali being celebrated around the world.

Source: Huffington Post

Image: AP Photo/Rajanish Kakade

Diwali in images]]> 51676 Diwali hype https://cathnews.co.nz/2013/11/05/diwali-hype/ Mon, 04 Nov 2013 18:05:54 +0000 http://cathnews.co.nz/?p=51689 The high cost of living has not deterred people spending money on Diwali. Several customers The Fiji Times spoke to said despite the increase in prices of fireworks, milk and other groceries, they were still spending a reasonable amount because they wanted to celebrate Diwali well. "Prices have gone up but we are willing to Read more

Diwali hype... Read more]]> The high cost of living has not deterred people spending money on Diwali.

Several customers The Fiji Times spoke to said despite the increase in prices of fireworks, milk and other groceries, they were still spending a reasonable amount because they wanted to celebrate Diwali well.

"Prices have gone up but we are willing to stretch ourselves because we want Diwali to be a memorable celebration for our family and our friends," Arvin Kumar, 35, of Seven Miles said. Continue reading

Diwali hype]]> 51689 Pentecost fails to ignite https://cathnews.co.nz/2013/05/28/pentecost-fails-to-ignite/ Mon, 27 May 2013 19:10:51 +0000 http://cathnews.co.nz/?p=44797

Pentecost is no match for the World of Wearable Art that puts the Wow factor into Wellington. The festival where art, fashion and theatre collide, the only boundaries being the limits of human imagination . Festivals need to promise good times, strutting their stuff with music, laughter, food, entertainment and, if we allow them to, speaking Read more

Pentecost fails to ignite... Read more]]> Pentecost is no match for the World of Wearable Art that puts the Wow factor into Wellington. The festival where art, fashion and theatre collide, the only boundaries being the limits of human imagination .

Festivals need to promise good times, strutting their stuff with music, laughter, food, entertainment and, if we allow them to, speaking subtly of a deeper connectivity, that becomes apparent through the creativity of the human spirit.

The ancient Artemisia festival had it all. People gathered from all over Turkey to enjoy food, wine, music, games and theatrical contests in honour of the Goddess. As well as providing a boost for the economy it was an opportunity to flutter eyelashes and flex muscles to impress a potential mate. Definitely a crowd puller, even Pliny the Roman writer thought so.

The Temple to Artemis was one of the Seven Wonders of the World and a sanctuary to those fleeing from persecution or punishment. But today it lies barren and forgotten. There are no festivals. No special days. Little marking what was once a pinnacle of cultural sophistication and spiritual enlightenment.
The Christian festival of Pentecost may be headed in this direction, even though its beginning, according to the Archbishop of Canterbury, was the big bang event for the church.
So the story goes, a great wind came from heaven and filled the house where a group of Jesus followers were gathered. Tongues of fire rested on each person and they were filled with what the writer calls the Holy Spirit. Quite a sensational story; no wonder Archbishop Justin calls it a cataclysmic event.
He also says that this Holy Spirit is what enables Christians to embrace diversity and be comforters in the world. Drawing them together from different backgrounds and traditions into a body that loves one another. We live in hope about that but surely people who are not Christians have these qualities too. Continue reading
Source

Sande Ramage is an Anglican priest and blogger.

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