Children showering flowers
8 feast, features daily prayers, Mass and the floral offering to Infant Mary. Children showering flowers Children showering flowers Mangaluru: Children carrying decorated baskets and plates of flowers gathered at Catholic parishes across the Mangaluru and Udupi dioceses Sunday as the nine-day novena leading up to Monthi Fest, the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, began. Children carrying baskets of flowers arrive at Holy Cross Church The novena, which precedes the Sept. At the close of prayers, children shower flowers on the statue of Infant Mary as the Konkani hymn Hail Mary is sung. Sweets distributed afterwards make the observance especially popular among younger members of the community. Monthi Fest holds a special place in the cultural life of the Konkani Catholic community. it is also associated with the blessing of the season’s new harvest, or novem While commemorating the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. On the feast day, freshly harvested paddy and other crops are brought to churches for blessing, after which the grain is taken home as part of family thanksgiving traditions. Celebrations also include novem jevan, a traditional vegetarian family meal. Sugarcane is distributed as a symbol of prosperity, joy and the sweetness of a fresh harvest. Spanish citizens Paul Larkin and Tania D’Souza, of Mangalorean descent, with their children Noah and Anoki at Holy Cross Church