Right now it's the holiday time called Navratri. This happens 2 times a year in our area of South Asia - in the beginning of Summer and the beginning of Winter. This one is called Vasant Navaratri. This holiday lasts for 9 days. For this holiday, people do special fasting and they worship a goddess called Durga. They are only supposed to eat one time a day, so in some markets they set up tents and feed people. I was in a busy market yesterday and they had this tent set up. 
They blow a conch horn to tell everyone that they're ready to serve, and people get in line to eat.
I want you to notice the lack of Personal Space here :) Most of the people in line don't know each other, but yet they are REALLY close to each other :) You see, if they leave a space between them and the person in front of them (especially in a food line), then someone will get in that space :) So, you have to be close together. That, and their idea of personal space is WAY smaller than the American idea of personal space :)
They are only supposed to eat one meal a day (usually after sunset) and can have juice, milk and fruit during the day. When people fast here, they usually aren't fasting from food, but just from certain foods. For this holiday they aren't supposed to eat grains, garlic, onions, eggs or meat (some Hindus do eat meat regularly). Grains are a HUGE part of the meals here. In our area, they eat bread with every meal, so going without grains is a big deal. So, for this holiday, they make bread out of water chestnut flour - weird hunh? I didn't know you could make flour out of that!?! Here they are cooking food for a ton of people!
Some people say that, if they can, during this holiday, they are supposed to sleep on the floor or couches during these nights and not in their beds.
And one last picture...These guys were funny, so I took their picture :) Not everyone wants their picture made, but these guys did!
They blow a conch horn to tell everyone that they're ready to serve, and people get in line to eat. I want you to notice the lack of Personal Space here :) Most of the people in line don't know each other, but yet they are REALLY close to each other :) You see, if they leave a space between them and the person in front of them (especially in a food line), then someone will get in that space :) So, you have to be close together. That, and their idea of personal space is WAY smaller than the American idea of personal space :)
They are only supposed to eat one meal a day (usually after sunset) and can have juice, milk and fruit during the day. When people fast here, they usually aren't fasting from food, but just from certain foods. For this holiday they aren't supposed to eat grains, garlic, onions, eggs or meat (some Hindus do eat meat regularly). Grains are a HUGE part of the meals here. In our area, they eat bread with every meal, so going without grains is a big deal. So, for this holiday, they make bread out of water chestnut flour - weird hunh? I didn't know you could make flour out of that!?! Here they are cooking food for a ton of people!
Some people say that, if they can, during this holiday, they are supposed to sleep on the floor or couches during these nights and not in their beds.And one last picture...These guys were funny, so I took their picture :) Not everyone wants their picture made, but these guys did!
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