The ceremony on this day goes as follows. All the sisters of the household will be busy in the kitchen preparing various dishes for the brothers at home. They generally try to find out what the brothers like and then start preparing the dishes. What is symbolic in this festival is that the brothers are meant to take care of and protect their sisters and the sisters on the other hand will bless them so that they can be valiant, brave, prosperous and happy. As the ceremonies begin, the sisters will have to light the aarthis which is a kind of lamp on a plate with an assortment of blessed items on it, and then the red Tika is applied on the forehead of the brother. The girls pray for their brothers and in return, the brothers gift them with clothes or money or some kind of present. In certain communities in India, if a woman does not have a brother, she can pray to the moon God and worship him for the longevity of the life of the other men in the family. It is customary for the girls in the household to apply mehndi on this day.
It is also believed that for the brothers who cannot be present at the time of the rituals and the ceremonies of the Bhau Beej, prayers are made and sent through the moon God. They prepare an aarthi and when the moon comes out, they pray for it. There are many references and allusions made of the moon in the Hindu scriptures for this reason. It is considered to be auspicious and a messenger and a bringer of good luck and love. Close relatives are invited on this day and this is a time for the family to bond and to be together and express their love for one another at a time in the world when people are excessively busy with their own lives. Food, merriment song and dance are all an important part of the celebrations on this particular day. The sisters who learn classical music will usually perform a bhajan for the brothers.