Happy Harvest

I find it only fitting on this blog so often visited by those of varying faiths to enlighten you all about the holiday or festival of sorts being celebrated in my family and in my house this weekend.

I am not an expert by any means on the meanings or customs associated with this holiday, but here is just a short recap of how I recall my uncle explaining it to me:

Every January 14th marks the start of the three day Hindu festival known as Makara Sankranthi in parts of South India. "Kranthi" stands for 'change' and "Sankrathi" thus takes the meaning 'secured change' or 'change for good'. It signifies the day that brings us from darkness to light as the sun begins on its northward journey signaling the approaching summer. On this day, the sun enters into Makara (Capricorn).

Along with the mark of the sun, Sankrathi, in Southern India, represents the reaping of the harvest for farmers and sets off the biggest harvest festival in India, spread over three days of celebration. The advent of the holiday is associated with the removal of any rubbish or unused materials in life, symbolizing the destruction of evil.

Sankrathi, taking on many meanings, also reminds us to continue on our journey of intellectual illumination. We must have the ability to discriminate between right and wrong, just and unjust, virtue and vice. Light, on this holiday, symbolizes virtues of the heart - love, affection, and warmth.

So this is my attempt to give a little back to my favorite Jesus fans out there... Just to give you a little glimpse into one small part of my faith.