Fasting

In America people don’t fast for any particular reason, but many diet to lose weight. In the Muslim religion there is a lot of fasting involved for example Ramadan. Well in the Hindu religion just like the Muslim religion we fast quit a lot. For example, one of the fasts I participate in is called ‘Janmastami’ August or September depending on the Hindu calendar, but the reason I do it is because that is when our Lord Krishna was born. The religious followers of Lord Krishna celebrate the festival of Janmashtami by keeping ‘nirjal’ fast, meaning fasting without having even a single drop of water. They believe that by keeping this type of fast they will come closer to God. Devotees who can't follow such a strict fast keep fruit fast having only milk and fruits during the fast. Devotees observe strict discipline while fasting. They refrain from having cereals and salt on the day of the festival. They also feel that keeping such a fast is the only way that they can offer God. Fasting is accompanied by singing of devotional songs at midnight. The week of Lord Krishna’s birth date all of our family and friends make different types of food, from enchiladas to chow mien and of course it consists of mainly Indian dishes. The prayer room holds about 50 main course dishes and 100 sweets and desserts laid out on mini steps that lead to the statues of Lord Krishna as well as statues of other Gods. The tradition we fallow is the day before Lord Krishna’s birth we gather all of our family friends have a festivity as big as possible at either my house or my uncle’s house we rotate every year. Finally at midnight we throw candy out from behind a curtain. The lord awakes then eats/ tastes his food. We then take the food out and lay it on tables and everyone can then eat that food, which has been blessed by the Lord.