• Gift Catalog
  • Donate
  • Contact Us
Call Us: 800-487-1074
Global Volunteers
  • Countries
    • International Partnerships:
      • China
      • Cook Islands
      • Cuba
      • Ecuador
      • Greece
      • Italy
      • Nepal
      • Peru
      • Poland
      • Portugal
      • St Lucia
      • Tanzania
      • Vietnam
    • USA Programs:
      • Appalachia – West Virginia
      • Blackfeet Reservation – Montana
      • Rosebud Reservation – South Dakota
      • Española – New Mexico
  • Projects
  • Give
    • Giving Options:
      • Donate Now
      • Gift Catalog
      • Ways to Give
      • Philanthropy
  • Impact
  • Blog
  • Search
  • Menu Menu
Culture and Traditions Worldwide, Free Time Options

Not a “Regular” Weekend. It’s Pongal Weekend!

Pongal Weekend

There’s more heating up on Pongal weekend than just the weather. In India, where this holiday is celebrated, there is a lot going on. If you don’t know about it already, read on to learn about Pongal, one of the coolest celebrations in India. It’s Pongal weekend!

Pongal is one of the most important celebrations for the people of Tamil Nadu. It is the harvest festival! It is celebrated for four days, usually from January 13th to 16th. Pongal signals the start of the sun’s journey to the north.

  1. Bhogi marks the start of a new cycle. On this day, people get rid of their old stuff, such as household items, and replace them with new ones. Traditionally, people burned their old items creating a bonfire. Then, young children would play drums around the fire and dance to the beat.
  2. The second day is the actual day of Pongal celebration. In all villages, people gather in a public place to cook the newly harvested rice in a pot with milk, jaggery and coconut. Every household brings their own pot and ingredients. The cooking starts at the same time. As the rice gets fully cooked and overflows the pot, people shout “pongal o pongal!” and the celebration begins. The pongal dish is distributed to family and friends gathered around. The Hindus believe the overflowing of the cooked rice is an offering to the sun god for the good harvest they received. On this day, people also visit temples and draw beautiful kollams in front of their homes.
  3. The third day is called Mattu Pongal. This day is dedicated to the farmers thanking all who helped them in the harvest – especially the bull and cow. To show their appreciation, the horns of the bulls and cows are decorated and they are fed good food.
  4. The fourth and final day is called Kanun Pongal. On this day, families get together. Relatives, near and far, meet each other to celebrate pongal and share the joy of the good harvest.

Pongal is a wonderful festivity in India. Volunteers who have been in Chennai for Pongal loved it. If you missed it this year, make sure you don’t next year. Register now and join the January 2018 service program in India to experience Pongal weekend yourself!

Enjoy more photos from Pongal 2017 on our Facebook page!

Share this:

  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)
January 13, 2017/0 Comments/by Stephen Raja
https://205eev2oa0jm1t4yb914s1nw-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Pongal-Weekend.jpg 579 1500 Stephen Raja https://205eev2oa0jm1t4yb914s1nw-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/2014-GlobalVolunteersLogo-Web.png Stephen Raja2017-01-13 18:36:432018-05-18 20:20:55Not a “Regular” Weekend. It’s Pongal Weekend!
0 replies

Leave a Reply

Want to join the discussion?
Feel free to contribute!

You must log in to post a comment.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Partner Communities

  • China 66
  • Cook Islands 44
  • Cuba 117
  • Ecuador 88
  • Greece 68
  • Italy 54
  • Montana 42
  • Nepal 16
  • Peru 99
  • Poland 77
  • Portugal 42
  • South Dakota 8
  • St Lucia 57
  • Tanzania 144
  • Vietnam 43
  • West Virginia 24

Categories

  • Boomer Volunteers
  • Conversational English
  • Couples Volunteering
  • Culture and Traditions Worldwide
  • Development Impact
  • Family Volunteers
  • Free Time Options
  • Global Volunteers
  • Group Volunteering
  • Impact Stories
  • Individuals on Teams
  • Projects for Professionals
  • Reaching Children's Potential
  • Repeat Volunteers
  • Retiree Volunteers
  • Staff Worldwide
  • Student Volunteers
  • Uncategorized
  • Volunteer Voices
  • Women volunteers

Tags

alumni volunteers American Indian culture Appalachian culture best destination peru Care for children Caribbean island College groups Conversational English cook islands economy covid-19 covid-19 consequences Cuba people-to-people donate for children Earthbox gardens economic support Essential Services food insecurity Funding your fee Health and nutrition High school groups Labor projects lgbt program peru resume resume high shcool retiree service-learning share food Spring break summer volunteer program support children Support women teaching children teaching english team leader things to do peru top places to visit peru tourism cook islands tours peru travel peru volunteer benefits Volunteer impact work on reservations Work with youth youth volunteering
  • About Us
  • Boards of Directors and Advisors
  • US and International Staff
  • Our Beginnings
  • Our Vision
  • Community Partners
  • Collaborators
  • Compare Us
  • Volunteer Vacations FAQs
  • Accountability and Agreements
  • Travel Risks
  • Impact and Outcomes of Service
  • Donate to Global Volunteers
  • Donate to a Volunteer
  • Money Matters – Explaining Your Service Program Contribution
  • Discounts & Fundraising
  • Alumni Center
  • News/Media
  • Privacy Policy
  • Agreements
  • Site Map
  • Contact
  • Podcast
  • Volunteer Portal
  • Employment
Global Volunteers
375 East Little Canada Road
St. Paul, MN 55117-1628 USA
(800) 487-1074 | toll-free
(651) 482-0915 | fax
globalvolunteers.org
email@globalvolunteers.org

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Subscribe receive notifications of new posts and updates by email.

Global Volunteers - Partners in Development ® | © Copyright 2002 - Present Global Volunteers
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Youtube
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Mail
  • Global Volunteers is an apolitical, non-sectarian, non-profit (501C-3) tax-exempt organization.
  • Send feedback about this web site and its administration.
Top Ten Family Volunteer Vacations for Summer 2017 Family Volunteer Vacations Couple volunteering opportunities in Beja, Portugal Couple Volunteering in Portugal
Scroll to top
loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.