Rakhi is Hindu festival celebrating on basis of protection as name suggest Raksha Bandhan. It is bond of love. It is mainly celebrated among siblings (brother and sister). It is not confined to brother and sister. We can adopt a boy as brother by tying Rakhi.

Celebrating Rakhi with Elderly Loved Ones



According to Indian religious belief, Lord Shiva is considered as the Father and Goddess Parvati as the Mother. The devotees of the Lord are my relatives, and I belong to all the three worlds.

“mata cha parvati devi pita devo mahaeswara
baandhavah siva bhakthascha swadesho bhuvana-trayam”


Elders should be involved in Rakhi celebration because they know the traditions very well and have experienced in that also. They liked to be involved in the festival preparation as well

Memorable Rakhi Traditions for Elders

Raksha Bandhan is an important ritual which is performed to eliminate evil forces and negativities from the lives of the brothers since the Vedic times. It was believed that any kind of omens or disease can be avoided just by performing the Raksha Bandhan rituals. The rakhi festival is observed in the month of Shravana on a full moon day during the timings of Aparahan or Pradoshon the day of RakshaBandhan, but must be avoided during bhadra

Elder people should be involved in the rakhi festival . Because elder people involved in rakhi rituals as they feel good and enjoy family gatherings.

Ideas such as tying Rakhi with heartfelt messages, performing aarti, and exchanging blessings.

Fasting: Keeping fast for a person means bestowing him with a long and healthy life. The festival of Raksha Bandhan observes sisters keeping fasts for their brothers to bless them with all the happiness and prosperity in life. She finishes her fast tying rakhi to her brother.

Rakhi Thali: This thali holds immense significance on the festival of Raksha Bandhan as the sister worship God as well as his brother with this same Rakhi thali. There are some essential elements which this thali comprises-

  • Roli or Kumkum: This red-coloured powder is applied by the sister on her brother's forehead to promote positive and spiritual thoughts.
  • Rice: The rice is put on the forehead of the brother after the application of roli tikka. They are also sprinkled on the forehead to ward off any evil on him.
  • Diya: This one is used to remove the effects of any evil eye on the brothers. The cotton wick signifies the soul which burns the oil (bad energies) from life.
  • Betel nut: This nut is considered auspicious in all religious rituals. It defines auspiciousness.
  • Sweets: These yummy delicacies are essential to break the fast and sweeten the mouth of each other on the festival of Raksha Bandhan.
  • Rakhi: Keeping rakhis in the Puja Thali is essential as the festival revolves around them.

Aarti: Rotating the rakhi thali in a circular motion in front of your brother after covering your heads with a dupatta and while chanting the mantras is called an aarti. This religious act will eliminate all the negative energies from his life.

Celebrating Rakhi with Elderly

Personalized Rakhi Gift Ideas

We can provide elders different gifts e.g. Flowers, Executive healthy treat hampers, Chocolates, cake, Photo frame with loved one pictures and daily use items.

Daily use items according to their needs we can gift to our elder one.

Celebrating Rakhi in Senior Living Communities

We should celebrate Rakhi at the senior living community as elder people can also enjoy the festival.

Cooking Together: Rakhi Special Recipes

Coconut burfi: Coconut burfi is sweet dish made up of coconut, ghee, mawa and milk. It is Indian recipe

 Samosa: Samosa is a snack of maida, usually eaten with tea. It is very popular in India. It is liked by most of the people in India

Food has always been a medium to express love, care, and affection. Siblings often prepare and share each other's favourite dishes, enhancing the emotional significance of the festival. Cooking together fosters a sense of togetherness and creates lasting memories. It's a time for sisters to showcase their culinary skills and brothers to appreciate their efforts.

Importance of Emotional Connection

 It fosters strong relationships, encourages selflessness,           and reinforces the values of unity and care within families and  elder communities. Most importantly, it is the renewal of the promise to stand by one another through life’s ups and downs.

Conclusion

Rakhi is Indian festival. It is form of love bond of siblings. It involved tying Rakhi and doing various tradition like arti and tilak of brother.

Gifts are being given to loved one. Gifts should be given to the elder according to their needs.  We must involve elder in celebration as they know the tradition very well and they like to be involved in the tradition. On Rakhi, people try different recipes like samosa, Coconut burfi. Rakhi is festival of emotional connection. It fosters strong relationship, encourages selflessness, and reinforces the values of unity and care within families and elder communities.

References