Hello, fellow Steemit users. Culture is something that defines our way of life. Every religion or country has its own unique culture. Culture comprises of the food we eat, the language we speak, the way we construct our buildings (architecture), the clothes we wear, and many other things. There are certain aspects of our culture that we like and there might be certain aspects that we don't like. This contest gives me the opportunity to talk about the things that I like the most about my culture.

The aspect that I like the most about my culture is its festivals. India is a land of festivals. This statement holds absolutely true. There are so many enjoyable festivals in my country. These festivals bring an immense amount of joy to each and every person celebrating. These festivals highlight an important virtue of our life. I will begin by describing my favorite festivals.

1. Holi - Holi is the festival of colors. It is my most favorite festival. Over the years I have celebrated Holi with my relatives, my family, and my friends. But the most fun I have is with my colony friends. The friends I have at my colony are too special to me and with them, I have celebrated and enjoyed all of these festivals. Just a night before Holi, we would all gather in the park and discuss with excitement the time at which we're going to start playing and what all different colors everyone's bringing. Then, the next morning of Holi, we would all come out of our houses on the agreed time, fully equipped to color each other and have fun. We would all playfully color each other and then have fun dancing. The biggest task was cleaning ourselves of all the colors. Then, in the evening we would gather at one of our friend's houses to have snacks and a laugh.

_{Celebrating Holi 2021}

_{Celebrating Holi 2020}

_{Celebrating Holi 2018}

_{Celebrating Holi 2017}

1. Diwali - Diwali is the festival of lights. The preparations for this day begin a few days ahead. The markets are heavily crowded around this time. They are also very well decorated. I purchase some crackers for the evening. My parents purchase sweets and other things for the Puja. On the day of Diwali, every house is decorated with lights and the surroundings appear so beautiful. After the Puja in the evening, everyone wears new clothes and comes out of their house. I and my friends walk around the colony and also have some fun with crackers. We click many pictures together. It is a day of pleasantries for all.

_{Celebrating Diwali 2020}

_{Celebrating Diwali 2019}

_{Celebrating Diwali 2019}

_{Celebrating Diwali 2018}

1. Dussehra - Dussehra is also one of my favorite festivals. I love the way it is celebrated in my colony. On the day of Dussehra, huge wooden structures of Ravan are made at different places. They are filled with firecrackers and decorated as well. Then these huge structures are burnt and a lot of people gather to watch the spectacular show. In my colony, my group is the one that makes the Ravan. It is an entire day of fun for us. A day before Dussehra, we all go to every house to gather donations for the materials. Then, on the day of Dussehra, we start with the making of Ravan. First, we fill the wooden structure with paper. Then, we bind crackers to it inside. After that, we cover it with some colored paper and decorate it. There was laughter and enjoyment at all times. My group has done this Ravan making a lot over the years. Then, at night we would all get changed and gather in the park where the Ravan stood. After that, we would all together light it. Everyone in the colony would gather in the park to watch it. It is a day of fun for everyone.

_{Celebrating Dussehra 2018}

_{Celebrating Dussehra 2018}

_{Celebrating Dussehra 2017}

_{Celebrating Dussehra 2017}

_{Celebrating Dussehra 2017}
Lastly, I would like to thank @belenguerra and @fendit for organizing this contest.

Thank You.