What is Raksha Bandhan?

Raksha Bandhan first became popular among Hindu people in rural northern India, where the local marriage customs made the brother/sister relationship extra important as they married into different families.

Traditionally, both men and women in this region would marry someone from a different village. But while men stayed in the village where they grew up and kept in close contact with their parents, women were expected to move away to their new husband’s village.

It was the brother’s job to keep in touch with his sister after she moved away, visiting her from time to time and making sure she was doing well. When Raksha Bandhan drew close, he would bring her back to the village where she grew up to celebrate the holiday with her family.

Since then, Raksha Bandhan has spread widely. It is now celebrated throughout rural and urban India, as well as in Nepal, Pakistan, Mauritius, Fiji and anywhere in the world with a South Asian immigrant population. Raksha Bandhan is also celebrated by people outside the Hindu faith, including Sikhs and Jains.

And because its celebration is so widespread, the celebration of Raksha Bandhan is known by many other names. It is also commonly referred to as Rakhi and is sometimes called Saluno, Silono or Rakri.

When is Raksha Bandhan?

Raksha Bandhan is the last day of Shraavana, the fifth month of the Hindu lunar calendar. That means it usually falls in August. Here are some upcoming dates for Raksha Bandhan:

• 2022: August 11 (Thursday)
• 2023: August 30 (Wednesday)
• 2024: August 19 (Monday)
• 2025: August 9 (Saturday)
• 2026: August 28 (Friday)

Maybe you have a connection to a culture that celebrates Raksha Bandhan but have never celebrated it yourself. Or maybe you do celebrate Raksha Bandhan but you’re looking for some new traditions to make the holiday even more special. Either way, we’ve got some ideas to help get you started!

Hallmarkers Anita R. and Rakesh C. were kind enough to share their Raksha Bandhan memories and traditions, and many of the ideas below come from their celebrations.

The Raksha Bandhan Ceremony

Raksha Bandhan centers around a ceremony that a brother and sister perform together. The ceremony is short, sweet and simple, usually lasting only a few minutes.

The defining moment of the Raksha Bandhan ceremony comes when the sister ties a bracelet, called a Rakhi, around her brother’s wrist. The Rakhi symbolically protects him and represents his sister’s wish for his safety and well-being. In return, the brother promises to support and protect his sister throughout her life.

Other aspects of the ceremony can differ from place to place and person to person, but here are some basic components that are often included:

• Lighting a small oil lamp or a candle
• Praying for your sibling’s well-being
• Marking your sibling’s forehead with red powder made from saffron, known as kumkum
• Hand-feeding sweets to your sibling
• Arranging materials for the ceremony on a large platter called a thali
• Gift-giving; normally the brother presents the sister with a gift

The Rakhi

“Rakhi” is not only another name for the festival of Raksha Bandhan, but also the name of the special bracelet that is central to the Raksha Bandhan ceremony. Rakhi come in different forms and styles. Usually, they are made with ribbons or interwoven threads, but they can also include beads, charms, an amulet or other ornaments.

If you don’t live somewhere where Rakhi are sold in stores, they are easy to find online. Or for a more personal touch, you can make your own Rakhi with ideas found here.

Above: A young Anita R. celebrates Raksha Bandhan by tying a Rakhi around her brother’s wrist in the late 1970s.

Raksha Bandhan is about celebrating the brother/sister bond—but that kind of bond isn’t exclusive to blood siblings.

“In Indian culture, the brother and sister label extends to cousins, too,” Anita R. explained. “When Indians celebrate [Raksha Bandhan], they also celebrate with their cousins, or even just close family friends who are like a sibling.”

Rakesh C. has fond memories of celebrating Raksha Bandhan when he was growing up in India as part of a large extended family. He would start his morning at home, where he celebrated the Raksha Bandhan ceremony with his sister. Then the two of them spent the rest of the day travelling around town, celebrating Raksha Bandhan with all their cousins.

“You have all 10, 15 Rakhis on your hand, right? Sometimes they cover your whole arm,” he said, remembering the bracelets he wore in celebration at the day’s end. He enjoyed showing off such a clear, physical sign of how many people were wishing him well.

Now that he lives in Kansas, Rakesh carries on the tradition through his sons. Last year, his friend’s daughter tied Rakhis to his sons’ wrists, celebrating a brother/sister bond even though they’re not blood related.

According to Rakesh, it is common to go shopping in the days leading up to Raksha Bandhan. Sisters are often in charge of gathering the materials for the Raksha Bandhan ceremony, including the Rakhi bracelets and the sweets. Rakesh explained that any kind of sweets can be used in the ceremony—sisters will often pick out their brothers’ favourite candies.

Anita agreed that the sweets don’t need to be fancy or traditional. “I know I’ve fed my brother a Snickers bar before.”

Brothers, on the other hand, might shop for a gift to give their sisters during the Raksha Bandhan ceremony. The most traditional Raksha Bandhan gift is simply money.

“When I was a kid, it was just a dollar,” Anita said.

Of course, the important part is the symbolic act of gift-giving, rather than the gift itself. So the gift doesn’t have to be money. Picking out a more thoughtful, personal gift for your sister can definitely be a meaningful part of your Rakhi celebration.

In addition to celebrating the brother/sister bond, Raksha Bandhan can be a great chance to celebrate your cultural heritage.

Rakesh said that even though there aren’t specific foods associated with Raksha Bandhan, his family took the day as an opportunity to cook traditional—and delicious—Indian dishes. In the same vein, he said there isn’t a Raksha-Bandhan-specific outfit people are expected to wear. Nonetheless, people enjoyed dressing nicely for the day in traditional and beautiful Indian garb. But the formality of the celebration may differ between households.

The childhood memories of Anita’s mother centre around getting dressed up in their finest clothes and sharing a large platter of traditional Indian sweets with siblings and cousins. For Anita, on the other hand, the celebration she grew up with was completely informal.

“You’re not going to get us to dress up,” she said, chuckling.

Having grown up in the U.S., Anita wasn’t deeply immersed in Indian culture and doesn’t celebrate most Indian holidays. However, Rakhi has always been important to her. She loves having the chance to be reminded of her connection with her brother and the way they care about each other.

“Sibling relationships are so close, so natural,” she said, “but we don’t ever really celebrate them.”

So if you can find ways to celebrate your culture on Raksha Bandhan or to spend time with your siblings or to show how much you appreciate them and the bond you share, there’s really no wrong way to celebrate the holiday.

Above: A young Anita R. feeds her brother sweets on Raksha Bandhan.

Even if you and your siblings live far apart, you can find ways to celebrate Raksha Bandhan.

Anita’s mother moved to the United States at age 18, but her mother’s brother stayed in India.

“Every year she would have to mail him—mail to India—a ribbon for somebody to put on him,” Anita said of her mother’s efforts to celebrate Raksha Bandhan from afar. Today Anita and her own brother live in different parts of the United States, but they too celebrate the holiday through the mail. “I mail him a Rakhi. His wife has to tie it on him for me because I’m not there.”

Above: Anita’s mother ties a Rakhi around her brother’s wrist during a trip back home to India on a Raksha Bandhan several decades ago. Note the kumkum powder on his forehead and the platter of sweets to the right.

A personalized, handwritten message can be a great way to make sure your brother or sister knows how much you care, even if you’re spending Raksha Bandhan far apart. Exchanging cards has been another meaningful piece of Anita’s long-distance Rakhi celebrations. She said that one message she received from her brother more than 10 years ago is still hanging on her fridge.

“It was very simple,” she said. “It said, ‘Happy Rakhi’—it’s a nice reminder of what a great sister I have.”

Above: During a trip to his home in Atlanta, Anita and her brother celebrated Raksha Bandhan in person by exchanging cards, tying on a Rakhi and eating sweets.

Cards for Brothers and Sisters

We want people to be able to share love and affection with the people they care about, even if it’s not their birthday or a holiday. So we purposefully write some cards so that they can be shared on an occasion like Raksha Bandhan.