This year the festival of Raksha Bandhan (रक्षाबंधन) will be held on August 24th. The festival honors the bond between brothers and sisters. A threaded bracelet called Rakhi is tied to the wrist of the brother by the sister. The threaded bracelet symbolizes the closeness between a brother and sister.

It’s not certain as to how the tradition began, but one theory states that a widowed queen sent a bracelet to Emperor Humayun as a token of sisterly devotion. The Emperor was touched and sent his own troops to protect her from invading countries.

The brother and sister need not be biologically related to partake in this festival. Actually, it’s not necessarily brothers and sisters that participate in this festival. Some Hindus and Muslims have exchanged bracelets with each other to display their support for the Hindu-Muslim community

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZTHxz9Cric

You can make your own bracelet to show your respect for someone. A hand made gift shows that you really took the time to think about someone. It’s also an affordable way to show a nice gesture to someone who will appreciate your efforts. This video shows you how to make your own specialized bracelet.