Chapter 3 — Celebrating Festivals

The chapter is about celebrating festivals, especially spring festivals. It follows Rishi, who visits his relatives near the Himalayas and learns how people in different parts of India celebrate spring through flowers, food, and local traditions.

Rishi is the main character in the story. He is from Jammu and travels with his parents by bus to visit his Mama (mother's brother) and Mami's family, including his cousins Chiya and Nonikaa, in a small village near the mountains.

The Kashmir Tulip Festival is a spring celebration mentioned by Nonikaa. It is held when tulips bloom in Kashmir. Nonikaa shows Rishi a tulip flower and tells him about this festival during their conversation.

Buransh is the local name for Rhododendron, a red flower that blooms in spring near Rishi's home in Jammu. During the spring festival at his place, people place mustard and buransh flowers at doorsteps, and elders bless the children and give them sweets and toffees.

Vishu Kani is an auspicious ritual on the first day of the Malayali new year, celebrated in Kerala. Chiya's friend Unni celebrates it. Yellow amaltas flowers, fruits, and vegetables are arranged for Vishu Kani, and sighting these auspicious items at sunrise is believed to bring a prosperous year.

Sarhul is a spring festival celebrated in Jharkhand. People wear traditional clothes and walk in a procession to the sakhua tree, carrying freshly germinated grains and sakhua flowers. They make offerings to the Earth and the Sun and celebrate by singing and dancing to the beat of drums and other local musical instruments.

The chapter introduces several common road signboards including No Parking, No Horn Please, Speed Breaker, No U-Turn, Men at Work, and School Ahead. Children are also asked to draw and label three road signboards they have seen in their area.

Rishi and his cousins had a Kashmiri dish called haakh, which is a kind of leafy vegetable, served with hot rice. The chapter mentions that it was really tasty.

The chapter's activity asks children to match foods to festivals. Examples include Thekua for Chhath Puja, Pitha for Bihu, Plum Cake for Christmas, Gujiya for Holi, Sadya for Onam, Holige for Ugadi, and Seviyan for Eid-ul-Fitr.

The chapter teaches that spring is a celebration of nature. After harsh winters, the sun shines brightly, flowers bloom, grass grows, and new leaves appear on trees. A short poem in the chapter describes happy children, squirrels, and birds enjoying the spring season.

The chapter mentions that Mount Everest, the highest mountain peak in the world, is about 8,848 metres tall. It is located in Nepal, which is India's neighbouring country. The Himalayas, where Rishi travels, are described as meaning 'home of snow'.

The chapter includes an activity where children ask elders about festivals celebrated in their locality across all four seasons: spring, summer, monsoon, and winter. They also list the special food prepared during those festivals, helping them see how celebrations are linked to nature and the time of year.