Onam is a grand and joyous festival celebrated in India. This week-long celebration filled with feasts, boat races, singing, and dancing transforms Kerala into a colourful and picturesque harvest festival.

The Spiritual Meanings of Onam:
Kind Mahabali was the greatest mythical king of ancient Kerala. During his time, people experienced the happiest time of all and saw the good sides in everything. It was a prosperous and magnificent era. Then, Lord Vishnu appeared as a short Brahmin (Veman) to cut off his ruling, once and for all. He planned to trick King Mahabali into landing him all the territories he had. Unfortunately, his plan worked. However, the good thing is that the kind Mahabali was allowed to visit his lands once a year, and Onam was made to celebrate the king's homecoming and to commemorate their great king.

Onam is celebrated at the beginning of the 1st month of the Malayalam calendar - Chingam. To put it commonly, it's usually observed between August and September and lasts for 10 days. Onam in 2024 falls between September the 5th and the 17th.

The Ways of Celebrating Onam:
Onam Festival can be celebrated in various ways over the 10 days. Some different ways to celebrate include boat races, cultural programs like singing and dancing, prayers, and much more! Here are some main events on each day of the celebration -

Day 1:
Day one of Onam is called Atham. On Atham, people take early baths and pray a lot. Then, they will start creating colourful designs made of gorgeous flowers called pookalam. They put them in front of their houses just like carpets, to welcome King Mahabali. Pookkalam on day one looks very simple, using only yellow flowers.

Day 2:
The name of day two of Onam is "Chithira". Two extra layers of yellow and orange flowers will be added, and Keralites will carry out major cleanings, and then go to temples.

Day 3:
On day three of Onam, Chodhi is celebrated by adding another group of flowers and flooding the markets to buy the newest clothes and shiniest jewellery for families. I hope there won't be any trampling in the markets that day!

Day 4~8:
Vishakam (day four of Onam) opens the curtain for the start of the main festival. All sorts of events are held during the five days, for example, the snake boat race held on the sacred Pompa River, the preparing of meals made of traditional dishes, spending time with loved ones, and more. And of course, new beautiful layers of flowers will be added to the pookalam.

Day 9~10:
Big days! King Mahabali arrives on day nine and says the legends and the preparation have advanced to a new high level. On Thiruvonam (the final day of Onam, day ten), people smear rice flour Blatter on their home entrances as a welcome. They also donate to homeless people and those in need.

The Importance of Onam:
Actually, instead of talking about the ways of celebrating, we should have asked ourselves an important question long ago: why should we celebrate Onam, and why is it so important? Well, Onam is a time to show off India's rich legacy and colourful culture, from its traditional music and dances to wondrous art. It is also a time of harvest, when everyone celebrates together, as a big family, regardless of background. It shows just how generous and united people can be.

And more importantly, people can utilise this holiday to show how thankful they are - from thanking Mother Nature for her generous gifts, to farmers for all their hard work. It's a holiday of gratitude too, entrusted with people's love for those around them, as well as good hopes for the future.

I hope you enjoyed learning about this wonderful holiday, Onam. This festival not only has a variety of cultural heritage, but it can also unite all kinds of people and give them love and care. Last but not the least - enjoy yourselves! <3

Written by Lily.
Edited by Ivy Dewdrop.
Proofread by Hazel Antler.