National Youth Day- 2024

National Youth Day- 2024

Friday, January 12, National Youth Day 2024.
India celebrates every year on 12th January Swami Vivekananda’s birthday as “National Youth Day” with great pleasure and joy. He was born in Paush Krishna Saptami Tithi, which is equivalent to 12th January of the year 1863.

In Indian tradition, every year the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda is marked in all centers of Ramakrishna Mission, Ramakrishna math, and its branch institutions as an occasion for the remembrance day of the Founder of modern India – Swami V Firstly, it was declared by the Indian Government in 1984 as a day to mark the birthday of Swamiji on January 12 and became known as National Youth Day. Therefore, since that year (1985) it has been celebrated Nationally as a National Youth Day.

History of National Youth Day

By resolution of the UN General Assembly in 1985 was the International Youth Year. Taking into account its significance, the Government of India declared all over the Country on 12 Jan 1985 a commemoration day of National Youth Day. The Indian government decided to make this move to inspire and mobilize the entire generation of youth around the path followed by Swami Vivekananda. The objective of building a better tomorrow by motivating the youth through the thoughts and attitude of Swami Vivekananda led to the decision to commemorate his birthday as National Youth Day.

It is mainly celebrated to spread among the youth, the ideas and thoughts of Swami Vivekananda. This population is estimated at sixty-five crores with thirty-five point six crores youth between 15-24 years. This population is 28%. Awakening the eternal energies of such youths as well as their tremendous efforts towards development in India.

How is it celebrated?

• The youth celebrate national youth birthday (Swami Vivekananda or Youth Day) by playing games, holding seminars, essay competitions, presentations, yoga exercises, conferences, singing, music, speaking about Vivekananda, and processional among others. Students similarly lecture the Indian youth while writing about what Vivekananda thought.
• This involves worshipping a holy mother Sri Sharda Devi, swami vivekananda, swami ramakrishnananda, and swami rama krishna at dawn. The devotees and priests perform a big Homas (havan) after the puja. Once this is done, the devotees pay their respect by offering flowers and performing an ‘aarti’ (ritualistic lighting of a lamp) for Swami Vivekananda. And finally, Prasad is distributed.
• Mission Bharatyam holds a two-day program in Uttar Pradesh that caters to all ages. It’s a festival which comprises about forty events that are called Basti Youth Festival. This day is celebrated by government agencies, non-fictional organizations as well as some private corporations. The great Indian cultural and traditional wealth is Swami Vivekananda’s thoughts, philosophy, and teaching. The country’s youth is its future. The youth take the country forward; therefore, it is their thoughts and ideals that are chosen in the first place by Swami Vivekananda. Hence, National Youth Day commenced annually to encourage and recognize honorable Indian youths. Schools and colleges prepare themselves for the event by decorating them in a very interesting way.

Said another way using words borrowed from Swami Vivekananda; This country cannot develop without youth power.
“Get up, stay awake, and never stop until you reach your goal.”