Rakshabandhan 2023: How To Celebrate Raksha Bandhan When You Don’t Have A Brother?

Festivals are threads that weave together the diverse fabrics of our communities into a cohesive and vibrant cultural tapestry. Each holiday stems from traditions passed down lovingly through generations, their origins embroidered with significance. In India, Raksha Bandhan embodies the sacred bonds between brothers and sisters. Sisters elegantly adorn their wrists with rakhis while brothers promise protection. Yet this ritual need not be confined to those with a brother. The heart of Raksha Bandhan pulses with a unifying power – to cherish relationships and strengthen bonds. For those without a brother, creative opportunities abound to infuse your celebration with the spirit of kinship.

Dr Chandni Tugnait is M.D. (Alternative Medicines), Psychotherapist, Life Coach, Business Coach, NLP Expert, Healer, Founder & Director – Gateway of Healing shares some ways to celebrate Raksha Bandhan when you don’t have a brother:

1. Celebrate With Cousins and Close FriendsRaksha Bandhan can be celebrated to emphasize the bond with close relatives and friends. By fastening a rakhi around their wrists, you can express your gratitude for their presence in your life and your best wishes for their protection, happiness, and love.
2. Follow Traditional RitesAs a show of devotion and a request for divine protection, you can tie a rakhi around a statue of God. Alternatively, you can tie rakhis to plants or trees to demonstrate respect for nature, as trees give us many necessary resources and are revered as protectors in many cultures.
3. Create Your Own TraditionCelebrate Raksha Bandhan with your closest friends; establish a new custom whereby you all tie rakhis on each other’s wrists to celebrate your friendship, regardless of gender.
4. Make it a Celebration of SisterhoodGet together with your sisters, female friends or cousins and exchange rakhis as a symbol of your bond. You can even have fun making DIYrakhis together.
5. Spread your Cultural BeliefShare the meaning of Raksha Bandhan with your non-Indian acquaintances. To convey the message of love and kinship, you can also make a YouTube video or a fun reel to tell the narrative of Raksha Bandhan.
6. Celebrate YourselfRaksha Bandhan is about honoring the protective bond, but you may also use this idea to promote self-care and love. Use the day to pamper yourself, indulge in self-care, and think about your fortitude and resilience. Celebrate your accomplishments and feel proud of how far you have come.Even if you don’t have a brother to celebrate Raksha Bandhan with, you can still indulge in the joys of the festival by adapting to traditional ways and creating your own fun traditions that you can keep up for years to come.