#traditions

Vaishali A. Patel

Aug 19, 2021
1 min

Going All-Out for Birthdays

#WhyDoWe So, tell me you are Desi without telling me you are Desi. 🤣🤣 ⁠ For the longest time I thought this is how everyone in the world celebrated their birthdays! At Desi birthdays, you see people actually feeding the cake to the birthday boy or girl (even when they are much much older, like 90 something!). You will hear "your turn, now you feed her/him" and then take a picture with that person. ⁠⁠ ⁠ The "Happy Birthday to you" song is not enough. "Baar baar din e aaye...

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Vaishali A. Patel

Aug 17, 2021
2 min

Oombaraa Pujan

#WhyDoWe Have you seen women around you cleaning the door frame (Oombaro) and putting kumkum dots or divo by it?⁠ ⁠ Why do we do "Oombaraa pujan" as Hindus?⁠ ⁠ In Bollywood movies, we have all seen the images of a married woman entering her new homes for the first time and kicking the Kalash filled with rice inside the house by taking a step with her right foot in the doorframe. One of the beliefs is that Grains (anaaj or Dhaan) was considered a sign of prosperity, and as the

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Vaishali A. Patel

Apr 16, 2019
1 min

KAYPO CHE

Uttarayan, Makar Sankranti, Kite Festival are different names for this festivals we celebrate on January 14th every year. It marks the end of the winter solace according to the Vedic calendar. If you grew up in Gujarat, here are the few things you associate Uttarayan with: 1. Flying patang (kites), on roof top terrace of your home called “agaasi.” People prepare for this day’s event in advance. As you purchase the “patangs”(kites) and the “doro”(thread the kites are attached

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Vaishali A. Patel

Apr 16, 2019
1 min

DAILY PRAYERS IN SCHOOL?

Does prayer have a place in schools? Many private religiously affiliated schools in the US have this routine. Prayer does not have to be oriented towards one religion or affiliation. Prayer is simply a way to center, surrender and ground your day for whatever is coming. For children in school this gets them ready for the fun learning ahead. Many schools in India do not have a separate music program and through this daily routine followed in many schools through out India chil

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LIVING WITH EXTENDED FAMILY TOTALLY ROCKS!

Vaishali A. Patel

Apr 16, 2019
2 min

LIVING WITH EXTENDED FAMILY TOTALLY ROCKS!

I know what you are thinking, “are you out of your mind?” How can living with other adults in the same house be good? let alone fun. You have to give up your freedom, space, time and put up with other people’s preferences, right?” Well, here is what living with extended family is really like. Yes, there are different opinions and preferences and yes there are arguments and disagreements. There is also the warmth of someone waiting for you, someone to ask you how was your da

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Vaishali A. Patel

Apr 16, 2019
2 min

GUJARATI POSTNATAL CARE

If you are one of the lucky ones who was fortunate enough to have a mom or mother-in-law around after you delivered your baby and if you are Gujarati, you ‘had’ to –rather ‘got’ to– do the following: You were forced to drink suuva methi (water boiled with Dill seeds and fenugreek leaves) nu pani… You had to eat methi (fenugreek) or soonth (ginger) na laadva…You had to eat coconut and jaggery ( Koparu and gaud)… You were not allowed to leave the house for savaa mahino (5 weeks

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Vaishali A. Patel

Apr 16, 2019
2 min

THE GUJARATI FESTIVAL BREAKDOWN

Festivals are socially and culturally significant, and this is especially true in Gujarat. Celebrations of any kinds bring people together by creating a sense of cultural unity and brotherhood. They develop in individuals a sense of community and belonging. When our daily lives are filled with things that have to get done and things we have to do, we find ourselves working with others, or working alone, doing so in boredom or joy. Festivals, which request or sometimes even r

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THE IMPORTANCE OF WHAT IS IN YOUR DIYA LAMPS.

Vaishali A. Patel

Apr 14, 2019
3 min

THE IMPORTANCE OF WHAT IS IN YOUR DIYA LAMPS.

The lamp has its own special place in Gujarati traditions as it represents leading us from darkness into the light. While the oil lamp is more prevalent than one lit with ghee (Clarified Butter) because it burns longer, because ghee is extracted from the milk of cows, considered sacred, and ghee is the purest form of the butter, it goes to be that ghee embodies the highest qualities, making it very different from oil. One daily spiritual practice in the Gujarati tradition in

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INDIAN BLACK EYE LINER (KAJAL) AND HOW TO MAKE IT

Vaishali A. Patel

Apr 14, 2019
3 min

INDIAN BLACK EYE LINER (KAJAL) AND HOW TO MAKE IT

If you have ever been to India then you will notice that about two-thirds of the women and many, many of the babies, have their eyes lined heavily in black. What is that all about? My son believes strongly that people in India use this black eye liner, which is called kajal, because it’s so hot and sunny in India, that the black liner deflects the sun, much in the same way that football players have the black under their eyes. Ostensibly, it helps them to see more clearly wit

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Vaishali A. Patel

Apr 14, 2019
2 min

WORSHIP: POOJA

We all have different ways to worship. Some of us go to temples and churches to show our devotions to a statue or a holy place. Some of us meditate and connect with the divine source to worship who we truly are. Some of us respect and revere that higher power to worship something bigger than us. Some of us follow rituals and traditions to show devotion and worship. Some may choose to worship the darker forces or some of us refuse to acknowledge that there is something to wors

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Vaishali A. Patel

Apr 13, 2019
1 min

DIWALI

“Aaj Diwali kaal Diwali Gaam naa chhokraa khaay shuvaadi Khaay ne chhokraa raaji thaay Junu varash vidaay thaay…” “Today is Diwali, tomorrow is Diwali Kids in the town eat sweets, Kids are happy eating sweets, The old year says goodbye” A simple Gujarati song I grew up singing during Diwali. It say Diwali is today and Diwali is tomorrow because the festival of Diwali is five days long. Most New Year’s celebrations are a day or two long but not in the Hindu calendar. Three thi

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Vaishali A. Patel

Apr 13, 2019
1 min

DIWALI: DAY 1 – DHAN TERAS

First day of Diwali is known as Dhan Teras: This is the day of worshipping the goddess of wealth- Laxmi. The rituals and traditions are that you worship and pay homage to the symbols of wealth. Many wash the coins with milk, water and honey to purify the wealth you receive through out the year. Some choose to put haldi kanku (turmeric and kumkum red powder) on bills and notes. #diwali #diwaliday1 #DHANTERAS #festivals #celebrations #holidays #traditions #turmeric

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Vaishali A. Patel

Apr 13, 2019
1 min

DIWALI: DAY 2 – KAALI CHAUDASH

Second day of Diwali is Kaali chaudash: This is the day of worshipping goddess Kali who is the goddess of courage, remover of all darkness. Traditions in Gujarati households is to put castor oil in your hair and kaajal in your eyes to protect you from evil eyes as it is believed all darkness comes out to worship Kali that night. This is the night the black magic worshippers pray. #diwali #diwaliday2 #KAALICHAUDASH #festivals #traditions #holidays #celebrations

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Vaishali A. Patel

Apr 13, 2019
1 min

DIWALI: DAY 3

Third day is the actual day of Diwali: this is the last day of the year. After the darkness gets removed the day before on kaali chaudash, Diwali is the day of lights. Many put haldi kanku on their books for the year. This is the day of keeping your accounts clear. Many light their homes with diya (lamps made with oil or ghee) around their homes. #diwali #diwaliday3 #festivals #celebrations #traditions #holidays

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Vaishali A. Patel

Apr 13, 2019
2 min

FAMILY AND HOLIDAYS

Holidays, festivals, vacations and getaways are all more meaningful when shared with family. Yes, there are those solitary animals amongst us who enjoy vacations and time off all by themselves and that is well for them but for majority of us, downtime means fun with family. In every culture there are holidays and festivals which strengthens the family bonds. Spending time with family and having fun is not limited to one race, color, money, or location. When I was young, I saw

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Vaishali A. Patel

Apr 12, 2019
2 min

CHHATHI NA LEKH — SIXTH DAY AFTER BIRTH

On the sixth day after the birth of a baby, this ritual known as Chhathi pooja is performed. As with other Gujarati traditions associated with the birth of a child, this one is also very interesting. It is performed on the sixth day after a baby’s birth – chhathi na lekh. According to folklore, there was a belief that on the 6th day after the birth of the child, Vidhaata (Goddess of Destiny) would quietly enter the house around midnight to pen the destiny of the newborn. Trad

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DORDAA BAANDHAVAA — TYING A BLACK THREAD ON A BABY

Vaishali A. Patel

Apr 12, 2019
2 min

DORDAA BAANDHAVAA — TYING A BLACK THREAD ON A BABY

Gujarati culture is full of unique and special traditions and rituals. As there are many different dialects of Gujarati just in Gujarat, there are different traditions in different parts of Gujarat. Gujaratis love celebrations and to support that there are traditions for everything one can think of. This particular tradition is unique to the southern part of Gujarat, mainly near the district of Surat. As the people surrounding this area are known as Surati people. Dordaa lite

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Vaishali A. Patel

Apr 12, 2019
1 min

GUJARATI TRADITIONS: NAMING A BABY

Namkaran – Naming the Baby In Gujarati and many Indian families, the rituals begin with the conception of a baby till their passing to another world in their old age. Last month you learned how a Gujarati family celebrates the arrival of a newborn into the world. Through a very special ceremony called Shrimant or Khodo bharavo, the blessings are placed upon the mother to be and the baby growing inside her. After the baby is born, in many Gujarati households, the right to name

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Vaishali A. Patel

Apr 11, 2019
3 min

GUJARATI WEDDING RITUALS 101

In this blog series we will be exploring different rituals and traditions of Gujarati culture and we shall begin with Gujarati Wedding. There are so many traditions associated with Gujarati weddings as normally it is a 3-4 day affair. Let’s begin with the pre-wedding rituals. Gujarati Wedding Rituals: Engagement Many Gujarati marriages are still arranged. However nowadays couples fall in love or find each other first before they disclose their intention of marrying each other

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Vaishali A. Patel

Apr 11, 2019
1 min

CELEBRATING SHIVRATRI

Shivratri Want to calm your days and bring more laughter? Then music is your key. Learning these simple mantras and songs is a great way to bring peace to your normally chaotic days. This Tuesday the 13th is Maha Shivratri – Hindu festival celebrating Lord Shiva. Here are some of our favorite Shiva mantras and songs for you to enjoy. Sing these mantras to celebrate Shivratri and honor Shiva! Want to learn more Gujarati Songs?? Come join our Gujarati e-club where you’ll have a

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