One of the major reasons for the significance that this day holds for Sikhs is that it was on this day when Guru Gobind Singh organized the Sikhs into Khalsa or the pure ones. This not only curtailed the differences of rich and poor, big and small but also established equality that laid the foundation of prosperity in the society.

Baisakhi has a significance of its own for two major religious groups of the country, the Hindus and the Sikhs. According to the Hindu Mythology it was on this day thousands of years back that Ganges was descended on the Earth. This day to Hindus means bathing, worshipping and partying all night long. But nothing adds singularity to the festival like Sikhs do. The most popular folk dance form of the Punjab depicts the harvesting tale from sowing till harvesting. If you happen to see men performing Bhangra in the villages of the Punjab you will certainly get the picture. The rapturous beats of the Dhol and the energy in the environment make anyone non-resistant to this strenuous dance form.

Apart from the dance and fervor, Sikhs on this day visit Gurdwaras where they offer prayers to their Holy book known as the Granth Sahib and their respective holy Gurus thereafter. Later on when the religious ceremonies come to an end, Langars are organized in a titanic number and Prasad is distributed to practically anyone and everyone either in markets or on streets or their homes. An unforgettable part of the day is the parade organized all over the country in which Sikhs take part in large numbers with flags and colorful turbans.

Unlike other festivals, Baisakhi has a flavor of its own that is unmatched and peerless.

Till he was 29, the young prince led a sheltered life in the royal palace of his father. The realization that there was ore to life than the lavish and luxurious life he was leading, made him abandon his palace, his wife, his child and all the worldly pleasures and made him embark on search for enlightenment and true meaning of life. After much wandering and searching, Gautama finally attained enlightenment while meditating under a Banyan tree in Bodh Gaya, a small town in Bihar.

For the next 32 years Gautum professed his dharma Buddhism. Henceforth, known as the Buddha or the enlightened one, he began to preach, The Four Noble Truths, to all who would listen. According to this doctrine, people suffer because of their desires and the root cause of all misery is desire. The desires and consequently all problems can be totally eliminated by following the eightfold path. He died at the age of eighty.

Buddha Purnima is celebrated by followers of Buddhism all over the world. Pilgrims come from all parts of the world to Bodh Gaya to attend the Buddha Purnima celebrations. The day is marked with prayer meets, religious discourses, continuous recitation of Buddhist scriptures, group meditation, processions, worship of the statue of Buddha. The statues of Buddha receive special attention everywhere with people offering them incense, flowers, candles and fruits.

While the entire day is dedicated to Goddess Lakshmi, the Goddess of wealth and prosperity, it is also believed that on this day accolades are given to Dhanyantri, an incarnation of Vishnu. The legend behind celebration of this day is centered on the sixteen year old son of King Hima. It was written in his horoscope that he would be bitten by a snake on the fourth of his marriage. Therefore to protect him, his wife kept him awake the entire night. She did not allow her husband to enter the room where she laid all her ornaments and gold and silver coins. She lit the entire room with light and kept on singing till dusk. She also told her husband interesting stories to make sure that her husband doesn’t sleep. When Lord Yama, the God of Death came in guise of a serpent, his eyes were dazzled by the light and shine of ornaments and gold. Lord Yama sat on that heap of ornaments and coins and listened to the beautiful songs and left in the morning. Thus she was successful in saving her husband from the jaws of Death.

This day has a great significance among the business class all over the country. Goddess Laxmi is prayed and acknowledged for her blessings.
Houses and Business places are beautifully decorated with intricately carved items and designs made from colored powder known as Rangoli to welcome Goddess and to please her in lieu of her blessings. It has been a tradition from centuries to buy new utensils, cars or equipments on this day as it is considered to be the most auspicious and lucky day of the year for starting new business ventures or buying things of bulk value. Also Gold and Silver coins and ornaments are bought in huge number on this day and kept in front of the idol of Goddess. Devotional songs and prayers are offered the entire day.

Krishna’s birth is celebrated all over the country with great devotion and enthusiasm. Temples are decorated and illuminated for the occasion. The image of infant Krishna is bathed at midnight and is placed in a cradle, amidst the blowing of conch shells and the ringing of bells. Devotional songs and dances mark the celebration of this festive occasion. On this day, devotees fast till midnight and they break their fast only after they have rocked an idol of baby Krishna in a flower-bedecked cradle.

Lord Krishna has played many legendary roles during his appearance in the world. He was Arjuna’s charioteer. He was a master musician. The music of his flute thrilled the hearts of the Gopis and everyone else. He was a cowherd in Brindavan and Gokul. He exhibited miraculous powers even as a child. He killed many Demons. He revealed his cosmic form to his mother Yashoda. He performed Rasa Lila. He taught the supreme Truth of Yoga Bhakti and Vedanta to Arjuna and Uddhava. He had mastered every one of the sixty four fine arts. For all these reasons he is regarded as a complete manifestation of God. To the Hindus, he is the supreme statesman, warrior, hero, philosopher, teacher and God himself.

Mahavira was born in the royal family of King Siddhartha and Queen Trishala. After his conception, the wealth, prosperity and influence of the family increased. So his parents named him Vardhaman, the increaser of Prosperity. Later, his followers named him Mahavira, the great hero. The two sects of Jains, Digambaras (sky clad) and Shvetambaras (white clad) are divided on the year of Lord’s Birth. The Digambar sect believes that he was born in 15 B.C. whereas according to the Shvetambaras believe he was born in 599 B.C. Also the Digambaras believe that the mother had 16 auspicious dreams before the child was born whereas Shvetambaras believe that only 14 dreams were seen. But both the sects agree that he was the son of Siddhartha and Trisala and was born at Vaishali (Bihar).

At the age of thirty, Mahavira renounced the world, adopted the lifestyle in harmony with nature and remained engaged in meditation. He spent the next twelve years in deep silence and meditation to conquer his desires, feelings and attachments. He also went without food for long period of time. During this period, his spiritual powers fully developed and at the age of 42 he realized perfect perception, perfect knowledge, perfect power and total bliss. His realization is known as Keval-jnan or the perfect enlightenment.

Lord Mahavira’s birth anniversary is celebrated throughout the country but it is celebrated more enthusiastically in Rajasthan and Gujarat where the Jains are relatively in larger number. Jain Pilgrims congregate at the ancient Jain Shrines at Girnar and Palitana in Gujarat and at Mahavirji in Rajasthan. At Vaishali, his birth place, a grand festival known as Vaishali Mahotsava is held.

The idol of Mahavira is given a ceremonial bath called the Abhishek and carried in a procession accompanied by Bhajan singers and tableaux depicting scenes from the life of Mahavira. Fasts are observed by devotees and Jain scriptures are read. Most Jains donate money, clothes and grains to the poor.

On this day the idols, small or huge are brought to water ends and submerged in the water bodies. The day celebrations involve preparation of delicacies, cleaning of house and making a platform especially for Ganesha which is beautifully decorated. Special arrangements are made in big temples of the country to bring the live telecast of the religious ceremonies to the people in various corners of the world.

By mid December people start decorating their houses, put up Christmas trees, make cribs with figures of baby Jesus, mother Mary, Joseph. They decorate and Illuminate the Christmas tree. Shopping shops become busier as Christmas approaches and often stay open till late..

The celebrations start on 24th evening with carol singing and the Santa Claus visiting houses. The main religious celebration ios a mid night mass followed by the pealing of church bells to usher in the day of Christmas. On the Christmas day, day services are held in the churches. The messages and sermons of love and redemption are given out. Christmas cakes and wines are served to the visitors and gifts are exchanged amongst friends and relatives.

Father Christmas (Santa Claus) has become the human face of Christmas. Pictures of the old man with long white beard, red coat, and bag of toys are seen everywhere. Children believe that he comes into houses down the chimney at midnight and leaves presents for the children. Father Christmas is based on the real person, St. Nicholas which explains his other name Santa Claus. He was a Roman Catholic bishop, who lived during the fourth century in Asia Minor (modern day Turkey). He was renowned for his munificence to the poor and used to give money to poor without them knowing about it. I t is said that one day, he climbed the roof of the house and dropped a purse of money down the chimney. It landed in a stocking which a girl had put to dry by the fire. This explains the belief that father Christmas comes down the chimney and places gifts in children's stockings.

Diwali signifies different things to different people around the country. In Gujarat, the festival honors laxmi, goddess of wealth. The Jain community celebrates diwali as a new year. Lord Mahavira, the founder of Jainism, is believed to have attained nirvana on the day of diwali. For the Gujratis, marwadis and business community, diwali marks the worship of goddess laxmi and beginning of the new financial year. Sikhs celebrate diwali to express joy at the return of their 6th Guru, Guru Hargovind Singh to Amritsar in 1620., emperor Jahangir had imprisoned him along with 52 Hindu rajas .the guru was granted freedom but he refused to leave until the rajas were also released.

Diwali is the festival of joy, merry-making and get together. Gaily-dressed men and children go to the temples and fairs, visit friends and relatives. Families exchange gifts and sweets .markets are beautifully decorated. Everybody attired in new and bright clothes captures the social mood at its happiest. This is an occasion for the young and the old, men and women, rich and poor to celebrate. In the evening laxmi puja is held and then celebrations start with lightening and firework. Houses and business establishments are illuminated by oil lamps, candles and electric lights. Fire crackers are burst. It is an occasion for spring cleaning and painting of houses. Numerous people keep the doors and windows of their homes throughout the night so that goddess laxmi may enter their premises and bring them good fortune. A ritual traditionally associated with diwali is gambling. Friends get together end indulge in games of chance, dice or cards.

Easter falls on the first Sunday after the first full moon following March 21- between March 22 and April 25. The date of the Easter Sunday was established by the church council of Nicaea in AD 325. The celebration of Easter begins six and a half weeks before Easter Sunday, with a period known as LENT which lasts for 40 days (excluding 6 Sundays). Lent is the time of fasting and penitence in solemn remembrance of Jesus' suffering and death. It commences from Ash Wednesday sometime in Feb/ March and ends on Holy Saturday, the day before the Easter Sunday. The Sunday before Easter is known as Palm Sunday when the church commemorates the triumphal arrival of Jesus in the city of Jerusalem and his welcome by the entire population waving Palm branches. Maundy Thursday celebrates the last meal of Jesus (known as the last supper) with his 12 apostles, one of whom, Judas, would betray him to the roman authorities just a few hours later.

The next day Good Friday (the day of Christ' crucifixion) is a day of prayer and sadness. The following Saturday, holy Saturday, sees the church sorrowing with a saying desolate emptiness. And then at midnight, begins one of the most spectacular of the Christian rituals, the Easter Vigil. Christians believe that early on Easter Sunday morning, Jesus rose from the dead, proclaiming the triumph of good over evil, and a dark over light. This is ritually symbolized in the mid-night ceremonies: the church is plunged into darkness; one candle is lit, and from it, all the candles in church are slowly lit and a wave of bright light fills the church; the church bells toll and Christians rejoice that Jesus has come back to life. Once again, light, music, and the perfume of incense fill the churches.

To symbolize the end of the frugality and abstinence of LENT, on Easter Sunday morning, people offer each other eggs and wear new clothes as a symbol of new life.

There is a lot of fun facts that have been brought into light by Sciences involved with parenting. To begin with children with involved fathers do better in school in comparison to those who fathers are less connected. Also, they are not just academically well versed, but have a higher acceptance level in society and a broader perspective towards life and enough power to deal with ups and downs of life by themselves. What is more enduring for children if they don’t have their fathers with them is to have someone as a father figure whom they can look up to with ease in their hard times. The thing that makes fathering a completely different aspect from Mothering is a positive outlook on the child’s upbringing.

An engrossing story behind the celebration of this day adds to its glory and beauty. While listening to the sermon of Mother’s day in 1909 a lady namely Sonora Smart Dodd decided to celebrate what we today call as Father’s Day. Since she was raised by her father alone. To her, her father meant what to the world their mother means. To pay gratitude to her father’s strain for bringing her up. Therefore the first father’s day was celebrated in Washington on June 19, 1910.

Unlike Mother’s day, this day is associated with political intervention as well. In New York City in the year 1962, a National Father’s Committee was setup. Not only this, the Joint Resolution of Congress in the year 1956 recognized Father’s Day. Also, a permanent observance of this day on the third Sunday of June was announced by President Richard Nixon. This day is not confined to honoring just fathers but also the men who act as father figures. Step fathers, uncles, male friends and grand fathers are also paid gratitude on the same day.