Seasonal observances carry story, ethics, and community. These essays explain meaning and practice without turning celebration into clickbait.
Looking for dates? See the festival calendar for 2026–2027.
How Sikhs mark Guru Nanak's birthday with Akhand Path, Nagar Kirtan processions, and langar, what Kartik Purnima means on the calendar, and how the festival reads in gurdwaras worldwide.
The Phalguna festival of Shiva's night vigil: marriage and poison stories, four-prahar worship, bilva and fasting, and the great Shiva shrines where crowds gather.
The nine forms of the Goddess night by night, the Devi Mahatmya story behind the festival, and how Gujarat, Bengal, and South India each make Navaratri their own.
The Prahlad and Holika story from the Puranas, Krishna's Holi in Braj, the two days of the festival, and how to celebrate with natural colors and real consent.
What Paryushana and Das Lakshana involve, monsoon roots, the Kalpa Sutra, ten virtues, fasting, and the yearly practice of asking forgiveness.
How Buddhists across Asia and the diaspora mark the Buddha’s birth, awakening, and passing, from Sri Lankan lantern displays and Korean parades to Japan’s flower festival, and how the UN came to recognize the day.
The five days of Diwali explained: Dhanteras to Bhai Dooj, with the regional stories behind them, how Jains and Sikhs mark the same nights, and practical notes for celebrating safely.
Most Dharma festivals follow lunar or lunisolar calendars, so their dates move against the Gregorian calendar from year to year and sometimes differ by a day between regions. Each guide explains the story behind the festival, what people actually do at home and in public, and the ethical point the observance is meant to renew. For exact upcoming dates, see our Dharma festival calendar.
Festivals are often the moment outsiders are invited in. The same courtesy applies everywhere: dress modestly, follow local custom on shoes and head coverings, ask before photographing worship, and accept food offered as prasad or langar gratefully. Our guides to temple etiquette and visiting a gurdwara cover the details.
