They are beautiful, colorful, fluttering in the air, flying and filling the sky with joy ... The kites are a kind of light aircraft that fly in the air without a pilot, with the person flying them being the one standing on the ground and holding the string.
The kite was invented in China, in the 5th century BC, by the philosophers Mosi and Lu Ban. By 549 AD the kites were made of paper. They were used primarily for military purposes: distance measurement, wind testing, signaling and communications. Legend has it that kites were used to fly children for espionage.
China had the ideal materials for building kites: silk fabric for sailing, and flexible bamboo for frame.
The earliest Chinese kites were flat and often rectangular. They were adorned with mythological motifs and figures from the legends.
The kites were brought from China to Cambodia, Thailand, India, Japan, Korea and the Western world.
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| In the photo: a giant kite in the shape of a Macau parrot (source) |
The history of International Kite Day
The International Kite Day originates in India, in the state of Gujarat, which is famous for the number of kite festivals held there every year. Gujarat residents start producing the kites several months in advance so they can be sure that there are enough kites for the millions of people who visit it during the festival The kite festival, called Otarian in Hindi, celebrates the day when winter ends and summer begins according to the Indian calendar as well as The coming harvest season, and the kites symbolize the spirits of the gods awakening from their deep winter sleep. Originally, kite flying was a sport run by the royal family and the very rich people, but in recent years it has become a festival for all people coming from all over the country and the world to take part, especially people from Japan, Italy, UK, Canada, Brazil, Indonesia, Australia, USA, Malaysia, Singapore, France and China.
How to celebrate Kite Day?
If you are traveling in India, you should come to Gujarat for the Kite Festival - Uttarayan on January 14th and participate in the International Kite Day celebration. Enjoy the amazing sight of millions of kites flying in the region’s skies, huge amounts of delicious traditional Indian food at all hours of the day and night, and lots of people from all over the world.
The celebration begins at 5 a.m. and lasts all day until late at night, with the kites lit by lights and andles creating a memorable spectacle in the dark sky.
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| Gujarat Kite Festival - The sky looks like an ocean full of fish |
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| Gujarat Kite Festival at night |
If you can not be in Gujarat to celebrate International Kite Day, you can celebrate near home. Make a kite or buy one, and go out with it to the nearby park to fly it in the sky.
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