With the gradual decline of belief in indigenous spirits, ghosts and deities most of the festivals connected with them, such as Phagu, Sarhul, Karma, Kadeta etc have been abandoned and a new set of Christian festivals like Christmas, Easter, Swargarohan, Pentecost, New Year's Day, Mritak Atmaon Ke Parab, Christ deh Parab, Mariam Ka Uthan and several other religious procession have taken their place. Besides the above festivals, other Christian Kharias also observe another set of festivals like Sarhul or Phagu, Dhanbuni, Hariari, Kadleta, Karam, Nawakhani, Soharai, Khaliani Pooja and Maghe, all indigenous in nature but have been modified according to Christian need. The Christian festivals are marked by special Girja services during the morning hours at the village level, Confession, Mass service at the Parish level, Holy Communion, adornment of Church with small flags and paper festoons and hoisting of triangular and striped banners inside and outside the village Church. The Christian festivals may be divided into two broad types: newly introduced Christian festivals and festivals which are indigenous in origin but have been re-adopted after relevant modifications. Rituals associated with Newly Introduced Christians Festivals As per the Christian concept the word 'festival' has been derived from the root word 'feast.' These feast days are usually the birth and death dates of Catholic Saints listed in the Liturgical Calendar possessed by every Catholic Kharia family. The Feast days have been divided into four categories according to the degree of their importance. They are Solemn, Memoria Optional Memoria, and Ordinary feast days. There are 193 feast days in a year of which 18 are Solemn feast days, 61 Memoria feast days, 92 Optional Memoria feast days and 22 Ordinary feast days. Presently, only two Solemn feasts, Christmas (Bara Parab) and Easter (Pasca) are celebrated in the Parish and other Mission stations by offering Mass of Solemnity. During the other Solemn feast days, the Kharia Christians merely participate in the Mass Service held in their respective Parish Stations. On Solemn feast days, three Mass Services are performed while two Mass Services are performed at the Parish on ordinary feast days. Duration of almost an hour is allotted for Solemn feast while 40 to 45 minutes are allotted for ordinary feast days. The sacred performances, associated with the newly introduced Christian festivals, commences in the month of January. Some of these are discussed below: New Year's Day The New Year's Day is celebrated with great enthusiasm and gusto by the Kharia Christians on the first of January i.e. the beginning of a new year. It is also a feast day known as Solemnity Mary, Mother of God. A Mass Service is held in the Catholic Mission stations while a prayer service is held at the village Girja on this special day. Devotees assembled at the church read out sacred passage from the Bible. Ash Wednesday The festival is celebrated on Wednesday in the month of February by the Catholic Kharias. The lent period also known as Maha Upwash Kal succeeds the festival. People repent for their sins during the celebration of the festival that inspires them to believe in the Gospel. Ash marked on their forehead of the devotees signifies the fact that man is made of dust and will return to the dust. The festival thus, sets the mood for the Christians. Way of Cross The Way of Cross is usually performed on every Thursday during the period of Lent in the village Girja and in the Church at the Mission station. Lent is the mourning period of teh Christians. 14 pictures of Bas Reliefs depicting the 14 land marks in the Christ's Journey to Mount Calvery are hung on the walls. The Way of Cross Us is performed in the middle of the prayer or mass service. Palm Sunday The Sunday preceding the Easter Sunday is known as Palm Sunday or Khajur Parab. The day is marked by the significant episode of Christ being welcomed by the people of Jesusalem, spreading tender palm leaves in his path. Palm leaves, tender and shooting branches are carried by both the denominations of Christian Kharias during the time of attending the Mass, a Church service performed to commemorate this event. On this day the Church Hall and the altar are decorated with palm leaves that are marked by a cross sign. The women attach them on their hair while men carry them in their hand. Holy Week (Easter Week) Holy week or Easter week is considered to be the last week of Lent beginning from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday that falls approximately in the first week of April. It is during this period that significant events transpire in the life of Jesus Christ. The Holy week commences from the Palm Sunday that marks Jesus Christ's dominant entry into Jerusalem, that led to his arrest by the soldiers of Pilate on Thursday, followed by His crucification on Friday marked as 'Good Friday' and finally his resurrection from the grave on Sunday termed as Eastern Sunday. Easter Sunday Regarded as the 'Feast of Feasts' and the 'Day of Days,' it is on this day when the Christ emanated victorious from the dead. Swargarohan After a span of forty days of the Easter Sunday, Swargarohan is celebrated to commemorate the ascension of Jesus Christ to heaven. He is thought to have ascended up to heaven to claim for the Christians a share in His divine life. A Catholic Mass Service is organised in the Mission Station while a prayer Service is held at the village Girja. Pentecost Sunday The festival, celebrated after a period of fifty days of Easter Sunday, to observe the gift of Holy Spirit to the Church. The Holy Spirit is known to have descended on this day on the disciples of Jesus Christ in the form of fire presenting special gifts. Mariam Ka Uthan The festival is celebrated on 15th August on the occasion of Virgin Marry following her Son and assumed into heaven. The Kharia Christians celebrate the Feast of Independence and recall both the events. On the festive day a Mass Service is organised in the Mission station while a prayer service is held at the village Girja. Christmas Christmas, a worldwide cultural and commercial phenomenon, is celebrated as the birth anniversary of Jesus Christ by both denominations of Christian Kharia with great pomp and show. On this festive occasion a Mass Service is held at Catholic Mission Stations at mid night of 24th December. Several Catholic Kharias also attend the prayer service in their village Church, presided by a village Cate-chist who first attends the Mass Service at his Prish Station and later conducts the prayer service at the village Church. The Chistian festivals thus, introduced by the Christian missionaries and well adopted by the Kharias reflect the observance of different rituals that form an integral part of the tribal community structure. |