When we celebrate our cultural festivals, situations have made some live with- out any celebrations and amenities. They struggle to make ends meet, and some try to buy gifts for the family without making them sense the crisis.
ROSELINE FLORENCE GOMES
Festivals have been an integral part of my life. It marks the self-identity in our social world. For some, it is the seed to socialize, reconcile, indulge, and most importantly express one’s culture. As a child, I have always been part of an inclusive culture that valued and treasured significant festivals. My father always guided us in understanding and celebrating diverse festive seasons with our community peers that marked a new collectivistic meaning in our lives.
As a teenager, I always looked forward to this festival called ‘Holi’ that symbolized the season of spring, love, and the beginning of new life. It epitomized the depletion of negativity and promoted the upliftment of a positive spirit. The colors shouted in union depicting the gesture of thanksgiving, happiness, and hope for a new season. I remember the days when
we used to hide all the colours and shared each one’s hidden boxes with those who needed it the most.
‘Rakhi’ was another festival that I cherished the most with my cousins. This festivity reflected the sacred bond between siblings
and defined feelings of brotherhood, love, and bonding. It signified the story in Mahabharata when Lord Krishna once injured himself and in return, Draupadi tied a cloth in his wrist that moved the Lord and he vowed to protect her from then onwards as a brother.
‘Eid’ was another festival that was celebrated in my family as my father had many comrades who taught us the value of prayers, charity, kindness, sacrifice, offerings, and most importantly the purpose of good deeds over bad.
While in school, all our brothers and sisters at home waited eagerly to celebrate the nine days festival of Durga Puja. Since we used to stay in Kolkata, it was the most awaited season when the whole state welcomed the goddess with her children who were believed to visit her mother’s house every year. The celebration of good versus evil was celebrated as it was known that it took Goddess Durga nine days to defeat the negative that further brought in cheer and camaraderie.
The last festival that was greatly believed and treasured by my family was Christmas signifying the birth of Jesus, belief in the word of God, feelings of secularism, love, faith, and hope. All these were important dimensions of my personality as it had taught me the essence of togetherness, brotherhood, and community. This is one teaching from my father that I will cherish and pass on to the coming generations.
Thus, as I reflect on these memories of festivities, I come across a time at present when we sometimes loose the meaning of festivals. The coming of festivals for a few of us are about dresses, family, extravagant meals and the list goes on. This pandemic has created unpredictable havoc in most of our lives. A few of us have lost our loved ones, some our jobs, some our most precious earnings, and some the confidence or identity. When few of us celebrate our cultural festivals, some sleep without any celebrations and amenities. As I observe my world daily, I visualize a few people struggling to make ends meet, some trying to buy for their families without making them sense the crisis. Teenagers and youth are waiting after their education for the opening up of a safe economy that recruits them with the limited skills that they own. All these instances make me go back to those festive spirits each time and rethink if I have contributed to others’ lives by bringing up the same festive spirit. Each festival that
I celebrate talks about good versus evil, love, sacrifice, and most importantly brotherhood. I ask myself if I have seen beyond the cultural walls, am I able to view my environment through the lens of people’s helplessness, youngsters’ uncertainties, and the roar of silence. I realize that we all are so self-centered with our own needs and thoughts that we fail to open up our minds towards the needs of others. Every festival shouts out of ‘humanity’ and the power of the divine within us that makes us fight over evil. When we become selfish, it makes us less humane and more materialistic. Each time we blame, we brood, we make noise about our government, our fate, and our times. If only we open our eyes and think of solutions, it will make us become divergent thinkers and eminent contributors to the community.
This pandemic should be taken as an opportunity to reflect on our deeds and restore all that is available to us; and that is humanity. We were created to be humane first and if
we are unable to see others like ourselves,
we may not be able to interpret. The festival
of Holi gave me the gift of communion that needs to be energized among our people. The celebration of Rakhi spoke about protection and bonding. It should motivate us to reinforce our associations with others irrespective of any differences. Durga Puja portrays the power of inner strength over weakness. Christmas that gave us the meaning of God’s love should lead us in understanding the unconditional ways of service. All these will be meaningless if we are celebrating without reasoning. This pandemic has taught me the value of social relationships and the purpose of my existence. All that I took for granted I have now started to rethink within my conscience. All these festivals talk about
a human’s fight for good and overcoming the bad. They speak about love and brotherhood embedded in humanity that for me is the biggest festival as it has taught me life and guided me in seeing the bigger picture than the materialistic pleasures. I became more self- aware and inclined with my identity and gained confidence. It’s time we reflect, rejuvenate, and most importantly educate ourselves and our social world, and then gradually we will be able to imbibe humanity in our surroundings.
∎
