Pakistan is a multi-ethnic country that borders Iran and Afghanistan in the East and India in the West. Norms and values vary across the country due to its diversity. The country holds various wonderful and thrilling holidays throughout the year. Many holidays and celebrations have a huge cultural significance, while others celebrate lives and the natural environment.
- The Muslims in Pakistan celebrate two main Islamic holidays, namely ‘Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha. Eid al-Fitr is an important religious holiday that Muslims celebrate to mark the end of Ramadan. In Pakistan, this holiday is celebrated through congressional prayers offered at the largest mosques and open places in every respective city. Al-Adha is the most important holiday on the calendar of Muslims. The holiday lasts for three days, and every Muslim is expected to participate. The feast is a re-inaction of Ibrahim’s obedience and is marked through the scarification of a cow or ram. Families are expected to eat a third of the meals prepared, give a third to friends and the other third to the poor and needy people around them. During this holiday, men are expected to wear simple traditional outfits while women’s and girls’ clothes are colorful outfits with bangles.
- Pakistan also has a national cultural festive that is meant to celebrate its rich and diverse cultures. The festival takes place in February for nine days. It comprises traditional music and dance. Artisans and craftsmen showcase the goods. The country also celebrates a popular festival known as Basant. The festival is celebrated across Malwa, Punjab, where individuals plan gatherings to fly kites. The festival takes place in March in Lahore and is meant to welcome the setting in the spring season and mark the end of winter. Both adults and kids take place in this festival, and the skies are filled with colorful kites. Beasant celebrations occur on a Saturday evening, and people prepare for it by decorating their roofs with floodlights. Ladies wear yellow clothes, which are considered the traditional outfits for the celebrations.
- The people also celebrate Defense day, which is a national holiday. The celebrations take place on the 6th of September and 89memorializes the individuals who martyred during the war between Pakistan and Indonesia in 1965. The war was in defense of Lahore, among other significant areas of the nation. The country’s army shows off the latest and powerful missiles, guns, and helicopters that are used by medical and service cops in the army and engineers in various places. All citizens are authorized to watch such functions by visiting specific places.
- The people also celebrate independence on the 14th of August. During this day, people across the country pay respect and honor to individuals who sacrificed to build the country. The people pray for the progress of their country and decorate their houses with flags. Others plan for trips and visit historical places which represent the culture and values of the country. Some of the tombs for heroes that people visit include Quaid Azam and Allama Iqbal.
The festivals mentioned above show the culture of Pakistan and the values and norms of the society. The people celebrate different festivals to promote the country’s culture by sharing and revisiting the reasons for events that occurred in the past. Visiting such sites enhances cultural cohesion.
Work Cited
De Melendez, Wilma Robles, and Verna Beck. Teaching young children in multicultural classrooms: Issues, concepts, and strategies. Cengage Learning, 2018.