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Extra Features and Video Online FloristsReview.com R E A D O N L I N E 21 Makar Sankranti is a Hindu harvest festival that celebrates the sun god Surya and the fi rst day of the sun's transit into the constellation of Capricorn, marking the end of winter and the beginning of longer days as the sun moves northward. It is usually a day dedicated to kite fl ying and consuming sesame sweets, but fl ower garlands and home decorations with fl owers are also the norms. While fl owers such as marigolds are used, there are no specifi cs that this author could fi nd. is event usually celebrated in mid-January ; the date shifts each year. Islam In Islam, the rose is known as the "Flower of Heaven," meant to symbolize the soul, and they are used in weddings and funerals. Tulips—specifi cally red—are also held in high regard. After Husayn ibn Ali, grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, was put to death by the army of Yazid I in the Karbala desert, a "blood rain" was said to have fallen, leaving behind red tulips. e red tulip symbolizes Allah (God), while the rose, the Prophet Muhammad. Muslims will often create their gardens to include roses, Hibiscus, Iris, jasmine, lotus, apple and jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus) trees, and oleander and pomegranate shrubs. ere are three very important celebrations in Islam: Ramadan, Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha. Ramadan is the holy month of fasting and is practiced to renew one's focus on spiritual life and its practical application in daily life. Flowers are a gift that can be presented at an iftar (the sunset meal), with roses being the fl owers of choice, especially golden- yellow varieties. Ramadan begins at sunset on March 22 and ends at sunset April 20 or 21 (dates vary) in 2023, and from sunset on March 10 or 11 until sunset on April 8 or 9 in 2024. Eid al-Fitr marks the end of Ramadan and the fasting during the light of day. Purple or lavender roses would go well with any Eid celebration, as a gift or a home decoration. e next Eid al-Fitr begins at sunset on April 21 and ends on the evening of April 22 in 2023. In 2024, it begins at sunset on April 9 and ends at sunset on April 10. Eid al-Adha is a bigger event than Eid al-Fitr. is celebrates Ibrahim's willingness to sacrifi ce his son Ismail as an act of obedience to Allah's command. Purple or lavender roses would go well with any Eid celebration, as a gift or a home decoration. In 2023, it is celebrated from sunset of June 28 through to sunset on June 29. Eid al-Adha 2024 begins at sunset on June 16 and ends at sunset on June 17. Judaism/Jewish Jewish texts compare the Jewish people to a precious fl ower, worthy of being loved and cherished. "Like the rose maintaining its beauty among the thorns, so is My faithful beloved among the nations."—from the "Song of Songs 2:2." Is it any wonder then that fl owers are a key part of the lives of those who celebrate Judaism? Shabbat, or the Sabbath, is Judaism's weekly day of rest on the seventh day of each week—i.e., Saturday. e day of rest and celebration begins on Friday at sunset and ends on the following evening after nightfall. Pesach, or Passover, is the fi rst of the three Pilgrim Festivals, a celebration of the Jewish people leaving Egypt and the servitude that preceded it. It celebrates the beginning of the Jewish people and is considered a covenant between God and Israel. It is a solemn Passover arrangement by Robertson's Flowers & Events, Philadelphia, Pa.

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