We have many spring festivals in Pakistan that are celebrated by different ethnic and religious communities. Read about some of them in this blog!
Basant:
It marks the advent of spring with people taking to the rooftops for kiteflying, traditional sweets, friends and family. It is celebrated in Punjab and KPK, along with Quetta and Khuzdar in Balochistan. People dress up in colourful clothes, (often yellow).
Nauroz:
One of the oldest festivals in the world, the Persian New Year's festival is celebrated on the first day of spring, usually the 21st of March. It is celebrated with particular zeal in Balochistan, GB, and by the Hazara community, Afghan migrants and some Pakhtun tribes.
Baisakhi:
Celebrated on April 13th, it is a harvest festival that marks the Punjabi New Year. It is celebrated with a lot of fanfare, traditional Punjabi attire, processions, and traditional music and dances.
Jashn-e-Baharan:
“Celebration of Spring” is marked by melas, music, dance, and poetry recitals, and people decorate their homes and streets with colourful flowers and lights in Sindh, Balochistan, Azad Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan.
Chilim Joshi:
It is celebrated by the Kalasha, a pagan tribe who live in the Kalash Valley, to welcome the arrival of spring, and blooming cherry blossom flowers. During the festival, people wear traditional clothes, sing and dance, and offer sacrifices to their gods and goddesses.
Holi:
It is celebrated by the Hindu community across Pakistan in March. People smear coloured powder and water on each other, dancing, and enjoying sweets and other delicacies.
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