Blog · Literatureनेपाली चाडपर्व तथा विशेष दिनहरू
The world is a bit silent, compared to previous years, streets are lonely, crowds are thinner but the love for Jesus and compassion for mankind is still the same. Welcome to the Christmas of 2020, feel the snow, feel the winter and feel the warmth within.
"Celebrate the happiness, praise the lord and keep smiling"
Welcome to the annual festival, let's commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ together, in our own way, our own hymns and own style.
Christmas was a Christian festival till the early years of the 20th century, but in the early 20th, it became a secular family holiday and a global commemoration. Thanks to Christmas, because its celebration keeps us away from the melancholic cold and grey winter days.
It's a global cultural and commercial phenomenon. From Jewish Chanukah to Pagan Winter Solstice to Germanic Yule to Roman Dies Natalis Solis Invicti (Birth of the Unconquered Sun); the sheer number of celebration days with trees, decorations, yule logs, mistletoe, and feasts seem to point to a season of celebration to which Christians added the birth of Jesus as a counter-cultural event and possibly even an escape from the pagan holidays for early believers.
This also holds the relevance of the Saturnia festival of emancipation, gift exchanges, and a coup of lights and color after the longest night. The Christian sees the truth implicit in this pagan tradition that reflects: Christ the Light of the world, His triumph over the night of sin in Luke 1:78-79.
While reading English, all of us Nepalis have read A for Apple B for Ball, in the meantime, we have also read X for X-Mass Tree. The chit-chat tree, which looks like a small cedar decorated in the picture, is a common sight today.
In the United States alone, between 30 and 40 million such Christmas trees are purchased today. Remember that it takes at least 15 years for such trees to be ready. Traditionally killing animals in the festival is a common practice in human communities, today many animals and birds, chickens are slaughtered for food.
Since it is difficult to send the animals to graze in the middle of winter and it is also difficult for the shepherds to cut the grass or bring straw, the fact that the number of animals will be reduced in this way is also mentioned in various books.
The big attraction of Christmas is Santa Claus, wearing a red hat and a white beard, mustache, fat big body saint is believed to give gifts and share happiness with everyone. Many children do not sleep late at night waiting for Santa Claus. Some people in the guise of Santa Claus walk around handing out gifts and kisses.
The festival is an excitement that needs to be taken as an expression of culture, harmony, and happiness rather than religion. There are also many Christians in Nepal. Enjoy this great Christmas for everyone, including them.
Mokshada Ekadashi and Geeta Jayanti
Mokshada Ekadashi is also commemorated as Geeta Jayanti. This day is the starting tithi when Lord Shri Krishna started to narrate Srimad Vagwat Geeta to Arjuna.
So today is the birthday of Bhagwat Geeta, the only book which advocates for the righteousness in human life and its sheer practicalities.
According to the Bhagavad Gita Mahapurana, Mokshada Ekadashi is called the Ekadashi of Mansir Shukla Paksha.
Ekadashi is especially the worship of Lord Bishnu. Today, incense, lamps, and offerings are offered by setting up a statue of Bishnu. Similarly, it is believed that giving Dakshina to Brahmins will bring religious and spiritual returns. Since salvation is obtained from all sins, taking the brat of this Ekadashi is considered appropriate from a religious point of view. This Ekadashi is called 'Mokshada' because it brings salvation from sin. There is a religious belief that after the brat of Mokshada Ekadashi, the ancestors will be freed from all sins and will live in heaven.
Today, along with the book of Gita lessons, Lord Krishna and Vedavyasa are also worshiped with devotion. In order to observe the brat of Mokshada Ekadashi, one has to make barley bread and mung dal and eat it only once on the previous day, i.e. on the tenth day.
In the same way, after completing the brat of Ekadashi, one should take a bath in the morning on the next day of Dwadashi and break the fast with vegetarian foods. On the day of Ekadashi, one should worship the Lord and stay awake at night singing Gita verses. The Gita frees human life from ignorance and darkness and leads to prosperity and good deeds. It is believed that doing so will lead to the supremacy of ideas in human life.
Suyog Dhakal
