Onam has turned up in pieces across eight classes. This one puts it all together, because you will almost certainly be invited. Onam is Kerala's biggest celebration, kept by every community and by the diaspora in rented halls around the world. This class covers when it falls (the month of ചിങ്ങം), the ten days from അത്തം to തിരുവോണം, and the last-day shopping rush. It explains the story of Maveli's yearly homecoming, then goes through each tradition: the flower carpet that grows every day, the new clothes, the feast on a banana leaf, the swing, the boat races and Thrissur's tiger dance. It ends with the greetings and questions you will need all week. Words and phrases in this class: ഓണാശംസകൾ (onaashamsakal) – Onam wishes ഹൃദയം നിറഞ്ഞ ഓണാശംസകൾ (hrudayam niranja onaashamsakal) – heartfelt Onam wishes ചിങ്ങം (chingam) – Chingam, the first Malayalam month അത്തം (atham) – Atham, the first of the ten days തിരുവോണം (thiruvonam) – Thiruvonam, the main day ഉത്രാടപ്പാച്ചിൽ (uthraadappaachil) – the Uthradam rush (last-day shopping) പൂക്കളം (pookkalam) – flower carpet ഓണക്കോടി (onakkodi) – new clothes given at Onam ഓണസദ്യ (onasadya) – the Onam feast ഊഞ്ഞാൽ (oonjaal) – swing പുലിക്കളി (pulikkali) – the tiger dance ഓണം എങ്ങനെയായിരുന്നു? (onam enganeyaayirunnu?) – how was your Onam? ഓണത്തിന് നാട്ടിൽ പോകുന്നുണ്ടോ? (onathinu naattil pokunnundo?) – are you going home for Onam? In this class: • When Onam falls, and the ten days from അത്തം to തിരുവോണം • The story of Maveli's yearly visit, the idea behind the whole season • The flower carpet, the new clothes, the feast and the swing • Boat races, the tiger dance and the greetings for the week Quizzes below. Dr. Reshmi R Nair — SpeakMalayalam.