North- Holi

In most parts of Northern India, the New Year festivals related to harvesting are generally related to Hindu New Years although may slightly differ according to area these are celebrated as this known as Lohri in Punjab while in Assam it is called Bhogali Bihu, in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar known as Makar Sankranti. 

In Northern India the harvest season in spring that falls in late February or early March is generally the time to enjoy and beginning of New Year also. 

In addition, this Holi time is one of the most celebrated harvesting festivals celebrated among the Hindus in most parts of India. Most people love to participate in the fun of the festival by throwing colors and Gulal at each other. Everyone including passers by family members, friends or neighbors do involve in the festival without any reservations. They even forget their old differences on this particular day and start afresh.

 In the festival time, everyone buys new or wear their best clothes only according to their capacities. People also collect woods, cow dung and waste furniture etc to light bonfires where everyone in the neighborhood to contribute or children of the locality do collect money for the bonfire. The people wish each other a very prosperous New Year and Holi after the flames extinguished and the ashes used as Holy powder to rub over foreheads of each other. This ash powder rubbing believed to bring good luck to every one for the Holi and especially the whole year ahead. 

South- Onam 

The Southern India is famous for its festivals and ways of celebrations with so much of religious touch to almost every festival even if it is not a religious function. In Kerala, the people celebrate Onam. For this festival, the Hindus clean their houses and the children go flower picking to get gifts in return. Most parents gift their children with clothes and other expensive gifts on this particular festival. Every one go to the temples and give thanks for the harvest and happiness that the God has provided to them.  Onam in fact has a story behind it that before a very long time a demon king Mahabali ruled over Kerala. He was very popular among the people his kingdom and was used to be known as good king who would never do any unjust to the people of his kingdom. He was very famous in other places apart from his own kingdom. 

However, Mahabali soon became too proudly and wanted to extend his kingdom and rule to take the seat of Devraj Indra to capture heaven. Devraj Indra, the king of gods became afraid by his growing powers and along with other gods requested to Lord Vishnu, the supreme power according to Hindu mythology to control his activities. To control the ill wills of the demon king Vishnu the supreme power approached Mahabali in disguise of a dwarf and asked for alms, as the Mahabali was known for his generosity he asked Vishnu in his new role to put his demands for anything. The Vishnu in Vamanavatar asked for three steps full earth for his own use, which the king approved with great pleasure. 

As soon as the Bali approved his wish, the Vishnu increased his size, he grew to cover the earth in his first step the rest of the space in second and when there was, nothing left for the third the king offered his head for the third step to honor his word. The dwarf stepped on his head and drove him out of the scene but Vishnu allowed the demon king to visit his own land once every year to see and meet his people. 

Onam is the day when the king Mahabali comes back every year to meet and visit his people. However, people of Kerala have not yet forgotten their good old king and celebrate the day with love and joy.

Onam is spread over ten days of partying, songs, temples, boat races and dances along with floral decorations, as this is one of the most common ways of celebrations in whole of south India. The main entrance of the houses festooned afresh every day, Mounds made of earth represent Mahabali and Lord Vishnu are part of the cow dung washed courtyards. As part of the common practice, people in Kerala go for prayers and worship in typical traditional styles and the elderly persons of the household present gifts to the family members and other relatives and close neighbors followed by big feasts.

Pongal

Pongal is known as one of the popular of harvest festivals celebrated allover Tamilnadu, which is spread over four days with ceremonial delicacies of newly harvested rice.  The cattle are especially, bathed, decorated, and fed with Pongal, a sweet dish made of rice. In the evening, the cattle are taken in shape of a procession with ceremonial music of drums.  All these four days during Pongal celebrations have their own importance as they have separate days fixed for separate gods to worship on each of these four days.

The first day is known as Bhogi that stands for God of Rain. This day people take an oil bath and in the evening, they celebrate it with a bonfire where they burn all the useless items of the household. The second day known as Surya Pongal, which takes place in open courtyard made ready with cow-dung paste the previous day itself for the Pooja ceremony day. The place is well decorated with Rangoli and other special decoration for the occasion. People in Tamilnadu eat the Pongal on fresh banana leaves. This Pooja is especially offered to Sun for his blessings

The third day Mattu is in the name of cattle as the cattle worshipped on this day, the cattle are taken out and walked around after feeding them with Pongal. The Fourth, the last day known as people Kanya Pongal, when people worship birds and enjoy the fights of bulls. There is so much to add to the traditions of Indian culture and festivals that one life is not enough for the same.