Great Indian festival-Rakhi on August 16th

 The ‘Raksha Bandhan ‘ or Rakhi is a traditional Indian festival in which sisters tie a sacred thread of protection around their brother’s wrists. By accepting a thread from his sister, the brother is bound to protect his sister from harm. The sanctity of the thread that the sister ties to a brother’s hand makes the relationship glow with noble thoughts and blessings of love, devotion and duty of the brother towards his sister. The people in India celebrate this festival on the full moon day of the Hindu month of Shravana. This year it will fall on August 16th. The frail rakhi thread is considered stronger than iron chains in India as it binds brothers and sisters in a bond of everlasting trust and love. Sisters apply ‘tikka’ on their brothers’ foreheads and brothers reciprocate by giving them gifts and tokens of cash. In turn, sisters buy gifts and sweets for their brothers. The meaning of this festival has expanded, so those who do not have brothers tie rakhis to others and initiate a new brother-sister relationship that usually continues for a lifetime. 
This festival also has an important social significance, because it underlines the notion that everyone in society should live in harmonious coexistence with each other as brothers and sisters in society. The best way forward towards attaining this social goal is to initiate a lifetime bond that makes men and women, young and old alike with pious feelings towards each other. The aim of Rakhi is to achieve a harmonious coexistence for everyone and removal of social strains. Simultaneously, it strives to cultivate noble thoughts in society and imbibe feelings of brotherly as well as sisterly love for members of society. 
It is not necessary that the rakhi can be given only to a brother by birth; any male can be "adopted" as a brother by tying a rakhi on the person that is "blood brothers and sisters", whether they are cousins or a good friend. The rakhi may also be tied on other special occasions to show solidarity and kinship not necessarily only among brothers and sisters. 
We shall be observing this here in my home and place. But most of my friends know I have an extended global family. I have sent rakhi to them well in advance by Air Mail and hope it will reach them on August 16th .