History of Raksha Bandhan and Gift Ideas to celebrate A simple thread or colorfully decorated Rakhi on a man's wrist on the Indian festival of Raksha Bandhan can only mean one thing, that he has a loving sister who loves and cares for him no matter what the situation is and that he in turn has promise to protect her life long. It is not the ceremony, customs and traditions that change over the time but it is only the celebration styles and viewpoints that become modern. For the centuries the Rakhi festival has been celebrated in the same way and with same enthusiasm. Raksha Bandhan in History: In India, there are many legends associated with the festival of Rakhi. Different heroes in Indian mythology and history with whom Rakhis are associated are: 1. Indra, 2. Yudhishtra, 3. Alexander The Great and King Puru, 4. Rani Karnawati and Emperor Humayun. Tips for Rakhi & Rakhi Gift Ideas: In India, Rakhi celebrations begin a month before the festival. To make this Rakhi day special and unique in it-self, one can find some fantastic Rakhi gift ideas mentioned below. Whether brother or sister, young or old, these Rakhi gift ideas are perfect, easily available in market/ online and economical for all. Rakhi Gift Ideas for Brothers: For Chote Bhaiyas, gift ideas like video games, toys, games CDs, cartoons, chocolates and other confectionery. For brothers who love to sport a style statement some trendy gifts will do a lot. One can go in for goggles, mobile phones, mobile cases, perfumes and deodorants, fashionable watches and belts. A bracelet style Silver or Gold Rakhi will also be appreciated by them. For Elder and Sober Brothers an executive shirt, organizers, portfolio bags, designer pens, ties and cuff links will be perfect Rakhi gift idea. For Brothers who are in school or colleges you can gift things which will be benefit for them like good reference book, nice novels, interesting CDs, etc. For married brothers you can go for household gifts like nice paintings, crockery items, handcrafted gift ideas, Sweet box, dry fruits will do a lot. Rakhi Gift Ideas for Sisters: For sisters who are fond of jewelry - Gift them some nice jewelry like pedants, rings, earrings, necklaces or even if your budget doesn’t suits above mentioned gift ideas then artificial jewelry is the craze all over the world. You can get it from online too. For fashion conscious sisters beaded and mirrored bags, handcrafted bags, fashion accessories, nice perfumes, fancy tops, ethnic jewelries, apparels are exciting and wonderful gift ideas. For little girls love to receive cute and huggable teddy bears, soft toys, chocolates, or some nice stationery items and last but not the least for married sisters there are always some household gifts like paintings, handicrafts, crockery items, wall hangings. And even perfumes and jewelry are other choices from which you can decide your Rakhi gifts. Rakhi Return Gift Traditions: Goddess Laxmi tied rakhi to Raja Bali and he in turn fulfilled her wish to return to her abode with Narayana. Humayun reached out to help Rani Karmawati accepting her Rakhi. And thus, sending Rakhi Return Gifts are a part of the Rakhi traditions. The Rakhi Return Gifts are in-fact the acceptance of the sisterly love. Another good reason for sending the return gifts on Rakhi is that sisters come to their parents and brothers house. As a tradition, she has to be bestowed with gifts when she is going back. In early days brothers used to give cash to sisters as return gifts. But now-a-days gift articles are sent as Rakhi Return Gifts. Return Gifts can be anything from apparels to electronic goods and cosmetics to jewelry. Even flowers, chocolates, sweets, toys are considered as a perfect return gifts On emotional side you can send something that reminds you of the childhood days, the fun filled, carefree, naughty times spent together. All one needs is just to keep in mind the tastes and interests of sisters and brothers while sending Rakhi Gifts. Remember to send gifts with sweets, cards or chocolates. Sweet accompaniments are always essentials of any festival celebration. So, celebrate this wonderful festival of Raksha Bandhan with your friends, brothers, sisters and friends and wish the well being and prosperity of all your loved ones.
From Jessica Simpson in NYC to Jon Hamm, Rebecca Hall and Ben Affleck in Venice, we're giving you a sneak peek of some of the fabulous star photos you'll see on tonight's ET Slideshow! Tune in to ET tonight for more amazing celeb snapshots!
In the first pic, Jessica is perfect in pumps as she leaves her NYC hotel.

NFL quarterback Tom Brady was involved in a car accident this morning near his home.
ET has confirmed that today at 6:34 a.m. ET, officers responded to a motor vehicle accident between Commonwealth Avenue and Gloucester Street in Boston.
According to our sources, the accident, involving a minivan and a sedan, wound up with the minivan hitting a telephone pole.
Betty White has another accolade to add to her banner year.
After taking home an Emmy last month, Betty will now be honored by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts/Los Angeles (BAFTA/LA) on Thursday, November 4 in Los Angeles.
Betty will receive the Charlie Chaplin Britannia Award for Excellence in Comedy. Oscar winner Jeff Bridges will be recognized with the Stanley Kubrick Britannia Award for Excellence in Film.
At the young age of 24, Megan Fox said "I do" to her longtime love 37-year-old Brian Austin Green over the summer, but she says people can't manage to wrap their head around the news.
"They can’t grasp that I’m old enough to be married," Fox told Elle magazine. Fox made the publication's "Our Favorite 25-Somethings" list, and opened up about the perception of her marriage to the former "Beverly Hills 90210" actor.
"When I talk about my husband, I feel as if people roll their eyes," she told Elle. "It’s like when you’re 16 and order a martini, and the waiter says, 'Do you think I’m stupid?'"
Between juggling being a mom to Suri, a wife to Tom Cruise and working as a movie star, Katie Holmes tells Marie Claire magazine that she's finally getting the hang of things.
“I definitely feel more comfortable. I still feel the same way about my husband, and I feel like I know how to be a better wife, a better mom, a better actress. I feel like I know how to do this, even though I’m learning every day," Katie said of her home life. "I guess I feel a little bit more at ease.â€
'The Romantics' star commented on having the title of Mrs. Cruise, saying, “It’s really exciting. Tom’s as big at home as he is on the movie screen. He’s so passionate about everything, whatever he’s doing. When he’s being a dad, he’s right there; he’s giving it his all. It’s inspiring and it’s fun. It’s an amazing life, but we always remind ourselves of how incredibly lucky we are.â€
Debbie Rowe, the mother of Michael Jackson's two older kids, still wants Michael's estate to cover "reasonable attorneys fees" that she incurred during last year's custody case over Prince and Paris.
Rowe, in court papers filed Tuesday, presents a copy of a letter she says was written by the counsel of Katherine Jackson -- Prince and Paris' grandmother and guardian -- in which Katherine requests that Michael's estate pay for Rowe's "reasonable attorneys fees relating to the guardianship [of Michael Jackson's children.]"
"Deborah Rowe and her attorney were very cooperative in helping the guardianship action go smoothly," the letter adds.
Carrie Underwood is opening up exclusively to ET in her first interview since getting married to hockey star Mike Fisher. The Grammy winner is Olay's new celebrity ambassador, and taking the skin care company's slogan "Challenge What's Possible" to heart, she's talking about her career, married life -- and the possibility of babies in the future!
"Everything is great," reports Carrie, who tied the knot this July in Georgia. "Everybody asks, 'How's married life?' and pretty much it's about like dating life -- you get married and there's a big hoopla and you go on your honeymoon and then you get back to work, which is good, because we're very focused people and we love what we do."
Both Carrie and Mike will be busy devoting time to their respective careers, "so the phone is going to be our best friend."