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National Technology Day

National Technology Day is celebrated all over India on May 11^th every year, with great zeal and enthusiasm. The day is celebrated to commemorate India’s three major milestones in the field of science & technology. These include the nuclear bomb tests conducted at Pokhran in Rajasthan, the test firing of the indigenously developed “Trishul” missile and the test flight of the indigenous aircraft “Hansa-3”. All the three events occurred on the same day i.e. May 11^th 1998. Since then, May 11^th is celebrated as National Technology Day all over India by scientific, industrial and educational institutions, with pomp and gaiety.

History of National Technology Day

A series of five controlled nuclear bomb tests were conducted at Pokhran test range in Rajasthan on May 11^th and 13^th, 1998. The first three out of the five nuclear tests were conducted on May 11^th, 1998, when the three nuclear devices were detonated simultaneously. However, this triggered earthquake in the nearby seismic stations, registering 5.3 on Richter scale. So, the next two tests were postponed to May 13^th, which was also conducted successfully. As a result, May 11^th, 1998 was officially signed as the National Technology Day by the then Prime Minister of India.

National Technology Day Celebrations

Several events are organised by scientific and educational institutions to mark the occasion. On this day, various educational institutions including schools and engineering colleges organise lectures, quizzes, presentations and interactive sessions etc. on different aspects of science & technology, to motivate the young minds to adopt the field as their career.

National Technology Day is a wonderful opportunity to praise the use of science and technology in everyday life. So, celebrate the day with your child at home in the following ways:

• Explain to your child about the importance of science & technology in our daily lives. For instance, tell her how different home appliances such as refrigerator, air conditioner, washing machine, mixer grinder etc. have become inherent part of our lives.
• Make a list of the famous Indian scientists and their inventions/discoveries and discuss their achievements, with your child.
• Along with your child, read monthly science magazines to get updated on the latest developments in science & technology and India’s contribution in it.
• Conduct a Science Quiz and encourage your child and her friends to participate in it. You may include questions based on the recent achievements of India in the field of science & technology. Announce the winners of the quiz and present them with attractive prizes.
• Encourage your child to start a science project at home by using things that are easily available in and around the house. You may also shop with her for the items needed for the project and help her to complete it.
• Take your child to the nearest Planetarium or science museum, on the day. During the visit, encourage your child to take notes about the information on the inventions/discoveries, being exhibited at the place.

This way, celebrate National Technology Day with your child at home and motivate her to develop more interest in science subject.

Mother’s Day

Mother’s Day is celebrated with fun and fervour across the world, to pay tribute to motherhood. The day is especially dedicated to all the mothers in the globe, who are inherent parts of our lives. Although the event is a western celebration, its importance has spread all over the world and today, many countries celebrate Mother’s Day with equal zeal and enthusiasm. The event is celebrated on different days in various countries. In India, Mother’s Day falls on the second Sunday of May. Mother’s Day 2013 will be celebrated on the 12^th of May.

History of Mother’s Day

The earliest celebration of Mother’s Day can be traced back to the annual spring festival of the Greeks, which is dedicated to Goddess Rhea – the mother of many deities of the Greek mythology. According to another historical record, Mother’s Day celebration dates back to 1600 A.D., when the early Christians settled in England dedicated a day to honour Mother Mary. Later on, the scope of the celebrations was expanded to honouring all the mothers too. The day then came to be known as ‘Mothering Sunday’, which was observed on the 4^th Sunday of Lent (in the 40-day period leading up to Easter), every year.

Mother’s Day celebration in India

Just like the western countries, the tradition of presenting Mother’s Day gifts and cards is popular in India as well. On this day, gift galleries across the country witness a significant increase in their sales. The stores display customised Mother’s Day gifts and beautiful Mother’s Day cards. The day is especially popular in metropolitan cities, wherein special contests and programmes are organised at shopping malls as a part of their direct marketing & promotional activities. Also, many leading brands of clothing & fashion accessories offer discount on their products & services on Mother’s Day.

People consider Mother’s Day as an opportunity to extend their sincere gratitude and express their heartfelt feelings to their mothers. So, dedicate this day to your mother and celebrate Mother’s Day in the most unique ways. Here are some useful tips to celebrate Mother’s Day with your mom at home.

How to celebrate Mother’s Day with your mother at home:

• Involve the members of your family to cook your mother’s favourite recipes on the day. You may prepare the breakfast/lunch/dinner, bake a cake or make your mother’s favourite dessert recipe.
• Make a beautiful card for your mother and along with it, present her a bouquet of roses or a gift basket of chocolates.
• Dedicate a poem to your mother, mentioning how thankful you are to her, for all the love & affection that she has showered upon you & the family.
• Make a collage of the photographs capturing your candid moments along with your mother.
• Create a scrapbook of photographs, highlighting the most memorable moments that you have spent with your mother. Decorate the cover page of the scrapbook and present it to your mother.
• Send your mother for an outing with her close friend or your father. In the meantime, along with your sibling, decorate the home with Mother’s Day posters, ribbons and other embellishments. Also, order a cake and write “Mom, you are the best!” quote on it. Thereafter, call your mother back from her outing, to witness the pleasant surprise that you have created for her at home!
• Arrange a get-together at your home for all the mothers in your locality. During the party, you may dedicate a song, poem or give dance performances, to the tunes of popular Mother’s Day songs. Plan this party along with other members of your family, well in advance.

So, use the aforesaid tips and make this year’s Mother’s Day worth memorable for the lifetime!

Requirements for starting an elementary school

The first stage of academic learning or compulsory education is known as elementary or primary education. After preschool, elementary school provides formal education to children up to 5^th grade. Elementary school, which is followed by middle or secondary school and then higher secondary school, forms the foundation for all levels of learning and development. Indian government acknowledges the importance of primary education and that is why it has already laid down reforms to make elementary education free and compulsory for all children less than 14 years of age. Even, the private sector has also contributed immensely to the growth and development of the education sector.

In case, you too want to enter into the education sector and contribute to this noble venture, consider opening an elementary school. Below mentioned are the basic requirements for starting an elementary school.

• The basic requirement for starting an elementary school is to have firm funding capabilities. You may either take support from a financial institute or arrange it on your own. An investment of around Rs.15 to 20 lakhs investment is required to open an elementary school.
• The next requisite for starting an elementary school is to find an appropriate land. Consider all things like number of age groups to be educated, the size of the school before you search a potential location.
• After this, you will require the EC from the Directorate of Education because Essentiality Certificate is important for starting a school, which verifies & confirms the need of your school in that specific area.
• Further, you are required to get your school elementary school recognised from the state’s Municipal Corporation.
• Once the legal formalities are over, you are required to recruit experienced teaching and non-teaching staff for your school. You may ask a consultancy to help you in hiring excellent staff.
• The next step is the promotion and marketing of your school. Remember that effective promotional approaches will surely help you to promote your school in your community. So, use banners, hoardings, pamphlets, newspaper advertisements and audio promotions for your school.

Mentioned above are the simple steps for starting an elementary school in India. However, if you feel that starting an elementary school is a bit tedious for you being a beginner in the education sector, then you may opt for school franchise from SHEMFORD Futuristic School. Owned and managed by experienced & qualified educationists, SHEMFORD Futuristic School offers unique school franchise opportunities to the aspiring people who wish to start a school of their own. You are required to fill the franchise application form given below to turn your dream project into reality.

Maha Shivratri

Maha Shivratri, meaning the grand night dedicated to Lord Shiva, is a famous festival of Hindus which is looked upon with great reverence by the followers of Lord Shiva. Every year, according to the Hindu calendar, the festival falls on 13^th or 14^th day of the Krishna Paksh in the Phalgun month. Maha Shivratri in 2013 will be celebrated on 10^th March.

Legends

There are many legends associated with Maha Shivratri which explain the reason behind its celebration. One of the most popular is the story of Samudra Manthan (churning of the ocean) by the gods and the demons. Mount Mandranchal was used as the churning rod and the king of serpents, Vasuki was the churning rope. It is believed that at the time of the Samudra Manthan, a highly toxic poison originated from the ocean, which terrified both gods and demons. As advised by Lord Vishnu, the gods approached Lord Shiva to seek his help, as only Lord Shiva could swallow the poison without being affected. So, on the gods’ request, Lord Shiva consumed the poison. However, Goddess Parvati held his neck, so that the poison does not go down his throat. Hence, it stayed in his throat and Lord Shiva remained unharmed. Due to this poison, his neck became blue and hence, Lord Shiva was also named as Neelakantha (the blue-necked). The gods were advised by some wise men, to keep Lord Shiva awake during the night. So, to keep him awake, the gods performed dances and amused him by playing music. As the night ended, Lord Shiva was pleased by their devotion and blessed them all. Since then, on this day, people worship Lord Shiva with great devotion.

Another popular story linked with the festival is that Maha Shivratri is the wedding day of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati.

Traditional celebrations

The Shivratri celebrations begin early in the morning. People take early bath, observe fast and worship Lord Shiva all through the day. Huge crowd of worshippers gather outside the temples, which are beautifully decorated with flowers. People offer prayers along with other traditional puja items like milk, holy water, bel leaves, fruits etc. they light oil lamps in the temples and seek Lord Shiva’s blessings by chanting the mantra ‘Om Namah Shivaya’. Some temples also organise nightlong Jaagrans, where devotees sing hymns in praise of Lord Shiva. In the following morning, people break their fast by eating the Prasad offered to Lord Shiva.

How to celebrate Maha Shivratri at home?

The auspicious festival is celebrated with great zeal & enthusiasm by the worshippers of Lord Shiva all across India. You too can celebrate the festival along with your children at home in the following ways:

• Narrate the popular legends associated with the festival, to your children and tell them about the significance behind the celebration of the Shivratri.
• Encourage your children to express their thankfulness in front of Lord Shiva by chanting the mantra ‘Om Namah Shivaya’.
• Take your children to a nearby temple to offer prayers to Lord Shiva and seek his blessings.
• Get a DVD about the story of the life of lord Shiva and have your children watch it along with you.
• Invite your children’s friends and organise a fancy dress wherein, children can dress up as Lord Shiva, Goddess Parvati etc.

So, along with your children, celebrate the auspicious festival at home, with full zeal and dedication.

Lohri

The festival of Lohri falls on 13 January, a day before Makar Sankranti (another Hindu festival) when the sun enters into the new sign. It is a popular harvest festival celebrated in the northern part of India, mainly in Punjab and Haryana. Harvest time for wheat, the main winter crop, starts after the celebration of Lohri. It marks the end of winter season and the beginning of a new season for the farmers.

More than a festival; Lohri is a day for thanksgiving. Apart from Punjab and Haryana, people from other states have also started participating in the festivity. On this day, People show their gratitude to God for His provisions, care, protection and blessings.

Lohri Celebrations

The day begins with Lohri songs full of gratitude for God and ‘Dulla Bhatti’, a legendary hero. Dulla Bhatti, a Muslim highway robber, who robbed rich and helped the poor, is the central character of Lohri songs. On this day, children go door to door in the neighbourhood to accept money and food items as gifts. In the afternoon, people prepare a feast for the day, in the evening, people wear new clothes and they gather around huge bonfire which is lit in the harvested fields or in the front yard of their houses. They go around the bonfire thrice and present peanuts, rewari, puffed rice, butter, sesame seeds and popcorns as offerings to the God. They pray to God to bless the land with abundant crop and everyone with prosperity. After prayer, people meet friends and relatives to exchange gifts and greetings and distribute Prasad. During night, men and women sing songs, perform on the folk dances-Bhangra and Giddha with the beats of dhol. Later, they sit around the bonfire and serve the feast of sarson-ka-saag, makki-di-roti and dessert “rau-di-kheer”.

How to celebrate the festival with your children at home:

• Tell your children about the importance and social significance of this festival. Tell them about the sacred bonfire and its association with the sense of togetherness and gratitude for the God.
• Ask them to help you in cleaning your home, decorating with flowers and filling pouches with Prasad.
• Go out with your children to buy new clothes and food items like rewari, gajak, popcorns and peanuts for the festival.
• Ask them to wish their friends, relatives and neighbours ‘Happy Lohri’.
• Arrange something to make their evening musical and dance with them to share your joys, around bonfire.

• Prepare a bonfire in the front yard or the terrace of your home and instruct them not to go closer to the bonfire.
• Make your offerings to the bonfire and ask your children distribute the Prasad among all.
• Prepare the traditional dinner and serve it to your children in the traditional way around the bonfire.
• Be alert and take care of your children while they enjoy the festival around the bonfire.

So, celebrate this festival of prosperity, joy and sharing with your children in a way that they always remember its importance throughout their lives.

New Year, celebrated around the world with full fun and fervour, symbolizes the beginning of another year. Everyone has a different way to celebrate the day, which is generally marked by parties, feasts and family get together.

“NEW YEAR” is a day of self-analysis wherein people remember what all they have achieved in the last year and they look forward to the promise of a new year.

People celebrate New Year with their family members and friends by remembering their successes and achievements in the last year. Apart from family get together at home, people go out to have dinner in hotels, arrange family outings to amusement parks and watch movies. Also, many people gather in malls to give a farewell to the passing year and welcome the New Year, joyfully.

Everyone wishes to start the New Year on a good note. People greet each other and wish them health & good luck. They also thank each other for all their love and support in the form of New Year gifts, flowers and greeting cards. With a new dawn, people plan new resolutions and decide upon the new courses of action on the day, for the rest of the year.

Apart from celebrations, inculcate values in your children on this occasion by following the tips given below:

• Explain the meaning of New Year to your children and tell them why it is celebrated.
• Give them an opportunity to learn about the bond of togetherness by arranging a theme party at your home. Also, invite family members and their friends on this day.
• Let your children know about sharing by distributing New Year’s gifts to their friends. Sit together with your children and pack these gifts for their friends.
• Instill the feeling of care in your children by encouraging them to make greeting cards for their teachers and loved ones.
• Help them to know about the value of team work by asking them to help you in preparing a cake for the New Year party.
•  Infuse creativity in your children by asking them to decorate the house with balloons, lights and coloured ribbons.
• Impart the traditional values by visiting a place of worship, with your children, on this day and ask them to wish health and good luck for themselves and their loved ones.

Last but not the least, ask your children to take a New Year resolution, which they can follow throughout the year. This will instill in your children, a sense of responsibility to accomplish their aim in the upcoming Year. So follow the above tips and welcome the New Year together with your children by saying Happy New Year!

Christmas

Story

The word “Christmas” means “Christ’s Mass”. Christmas Day or X-Mas Day is celebrated on the 25^th of December across the world to mark the birth of Jesus Christ, the founder of the Christianity religion. Baby Jesus and Mary mother of Jesus are the central figures of the Christmas story. Luke’s biography of Jesus records how Mary and her betrothed husband Joseph left their home in Nazareth to travel to Joseph’s ancestral home, Bethlehem. Finding no place to stay in the town, Mary gave birth to Jesus in the primitive lodgings of an animal stable, referred to as Jesus manger. Jesus and Mary were visited by shepherds and wise men who travelled long distances to witness Jesus born and greet Jesus mother. It is the most sacred and auspicious festival of the Christian community. Lord Jesus was the messiah of mankind and his message of love, peace and harmony is quite significant. Some of the most popular Christmas traditions are the Christmas tree (the pine tree), Santa Claus and Christmas gifts. The tradition of giving gifts has a great significance in the celebrations of Christmas, as it is believed that Lord Jesus himself used to give away presents. The occasion is all about giving and sharing gifts and presents with each other.

Christmas Celebrations

On the Christmas day, people make special preparations. Every individual indulges in making the preparations on this special occasion. The most important part of this festival is planting the Christmas tree in one corner of the house. Once it is planted, its branches are decorated with Christmas tree ornaments such as dolls, birds, flowers etc. At night, the Christmas tree is illuminated with electric bulbs. Following the decorations, all the family and friends gather to offer prayers to the God who sent his Son, Jesus Christ, to earth to remove all the sins and sufferings. They all sing along Christmas carols & jingle and make merry.

How to celebrate Christmas at home?

• Dress up your children in new clothes and offer the prayers at the Church. Attend the midnight mass on the Christmas Eve.
• To keep up the celebration mood in full swing, invite your friends and relatives at your place, to celebrate the festival of Christmas together.
• Light up your home with bright and colourful Christmas lights.
• Keep the little ones engaged in decorating the Christmas tree with ornaments, ribbons and lights.
• Sing the Christmas carols such as “Jingle bell jingle bell”, “Joy to the world”, “Silent night” etc. along with your children.
• Involve your children to prepare the Christmas cake with you.
• Tell your children to keep their best socks/stockings under their pillows, to receive presents from the Santa Claus. Present your children with their favourite game or toy. Keep the present in their socks/stockings on the Christmas Eve.

Since the festival is round the corner, so, use the tips give above to celebrate Christmas day with your friends and family with pomp and show.

Merry Christmas!