World's 10 biggest religious festivals

New Delhi: A religious festival is a time of special importance marked by adherents to that religion. Religious festivals are commonly celebrated on recurring cycles in a calendar year or lunar calendar. Hundreds of very different religious festivals are held around the world each year.People tend to be religious in many things, inheriting the culture that they have adopted from their parents, and other ancestors. These religious events are a part of our character, as a person and an individual that appreciates the value of the mundane, and exalts the divine. Even though the celebrations are focusing on different aspects of religion from one culture or nation to another, their respect and reverence to deity binds them as one. Let us see the biggest religious events being celebrated in the world by many nations:1. ChristmasThis special holiday is celebrated on the 25th of December in many countries all over the world. This day is so revered that many nations have taken this holiday, even crossing the boundaries of other cultures. It has been a worldwide celebration of the birth of the Savior, even Jesus Christ, in the city of Bethlehem. This is celebrated with the exchanging of gifts, the sharing of family dinner, and other cultural adaptations, such as Santa Claus and Frosty the snowman. This is every kid's favorite religious event.2. Hajj/Eid-ul-adhaHajj/Eid-ul-adha is an Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca and the largest gathering of Muslim people in the world every year. It is one of the five pillars of Islam, and a religious duty which must be carried out by every able-bodied Muslim who can afford to do so at least once in his or her lifetime. The Hajj is a demonstration of the solidarity of the Muslim people, and their submission to God.After culmination of the hajj rituals, the tenth of zil-hajj is celebrated as eid-ul adha .3. EasterKnown as the day when Jesus Christ has risen from the dead, after the third day he was crucified on the cross, Easter is about the standing witness that Jesus is the resurrection and the life. There were also other adaptations of its celebration, where children find painted eggs or thinking of the Easter bunny.4. Chinese New YearChinese New Year is an important traditional Chinese holiday. In China, it is also known as the Spring Festival, the literal translation of the modern Chinese name. Chinese New Year celebrations traditionally ran from Chinese New Year's Eve, the last day of the last month of the Chinese calendar, to the Lantern Festival on the 15th day of the first month, making the festival the longest in the Chinese calendar.5. DiwaliKnown to be as the “festival of lights”, Diwali unifies Hinduism, Jainism, and Sikhism, in celebrating one event, even though they have different reasons on why and how it is celebrated. At this time, lamps are lit to show that good reigns over evil. All the celebrants wear new clothes and share treats with family members and friends.6. Ramadan/Eid-ul-fitrRamadan/Eid-ul-fitr Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar; Muslims worldwide observe this as a month of fasting.This annual observance is regarded as one of the Five Pillars of Islam.The month lasts 29–30 days based on the visual sightings of the crescent moon. Food and drink is served daily, before sunrise and after sunset. According to Islam, the rewards of fasting are many, but in this month they are believed to be multiplied. Fasting for Muslims during Ramadan typically includes the increased offering of salat (prayers) and recitation of the Quran.Ramadan ends with the sighting of the moon of first shawwal when Eid ul fitr is celebrated.7. PentecostLiterally interpreted as the “fiftieth day”, the celebration of Pentecost is a reminder of the giving of the Ten Commandments, fifty days after the Exodus of the Israelites from Egypt. It is also celebrated at the time when the Twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ had received the endowment of the Gift of the Holy Ghost through the tongue of fire that symbolized its presence. It also denotes of the “Birthday of the Church” after the Savior's Ascension into heaven.8. SetsubunSetsubun is the day before the beginning of Spring in Japan usually the term refers to the Spring Setsubun, properly called Risshun celebrated yearly on February 3 as part of the Spring Festival . In its association with the Lunar New Year, Spring Setsubun can be and was previously thought of as a sort of New Year's Eve, and so was accompanied by a special ritual to cleanse away all the evil of the former year and drive away disease-bringing evil spirits for the year to come. This special ritual is called mamemaki literally “bean throwing”.9. Krishna JanmashtamiThis religious event is being celebrated by many of the Hindu people in respect to the avatar god of Vishnu, Krishna and his birth. This is when Rasa lila is being played to portray the life of Krishna, and showing his fun filled youthful days. Dahi Handi is another story, but brings out the mischievous side of him, which is being portrayed by groups of young men, forming a pyramid to break a high-hanging pot of butter.10. NavratriNavratri is a festival dedicated to the worship of the Hindu deity Durga. The word Navaratri literally means nine nights in Sanskrit.During these nine nights and ten days, nine forms of Shakti/Devi are worshiped. The tenth day is commonly referred to as Vijayadashami or “Dussehra.” Navratri is a very important and major festival and is celebrated with great zeal all over India.