Last week had a very holiday theme to it. Technically, there was only a day off, but the particular day was different for different places..and work places. I had the day off on Wednesday and D had an off on Thursday. Well, a far cry from the good old days, when the Puja holidays was an eagerly awaited annual event.
Its appeal lay in the fact that school books could be ‘legally’ laid aside for a few days. I still remember treating the occasion with all the seriousness it demanded, and even including comics in the book-ban. As i grew older, non-school books were gently eased out of the process. So were many accessory rituals like the early morning bath and going to the temple.
Zoom to now, when the single day off is just another holiday to me. D does try her best to retain the last vestiges of an occasion that now exists only in the memory archives. But the link to the original event is all but severed.
There are two losses that i mourn for. The first is of character – the character that differentiated and defined each of these holidays. The character that made sure each of these holidays created specific memory associations (our memory, i think, used folksonomy long before web 2.0) that would last decades after the holiday was last celebrated in the way it was meant to be. The memories now created are just another multiplex movie and a few ‘upto 50%’ off deals. I think we are celebrating more, only we have forgotten what we’re really celebrating. (pardon the generalisation) The second is of the innocence – individual more than collective. From the child who had oodles of faith and belief in the sanctity of the rituals he undertook, and derived great pleasure from it, to the cynical adult who battles hard to regain his faith, albeit in the form of spirituality.
until next time, keep the faith
Looks like you’ve given up. 🙂
I like staying in touch with the rituals. It’s not like there are so many days in a year that you need to oblige.
But I haven’t yet started working/living alone. I’ll tell you what’s happening then. =)
can relate to what you are saying.. I happily celebrated Dusshera and only a tweet saying “Rama killed Ravan” reminded me why it was a holiday …
..yes, and the point is now as adults, even if one takes on the rituals, they take on a hue of chores to be done sometimes – yes, i have to buy x,y,z before the function, cook something else. kinds of takes away from the spirit of the function and it becomes just one more job.
i wonder whether contemporaries with kids manage to recapture the spirit. but i doubt it somehow.
I remember getting asked “What does independence day mean to you?” Now the same ans works for all holidays – Just another day off….AND I had to work 🙁
Someone stopped you from putting up a toran or creating an alpana outside your front door?
There’s always a choice.
My choice for dussehra is fafda- jalebi. 🙂
I have been feeling it myself ! When Oct 2nd was at Kidnap and not reading about the Mahatma that was compulsory for many many years !
The multiplex mentality pervades our lives !!!
“I think we are celebrating more, only we have forgotten what we’re really celebrating.”
This said it all.
-Nikhil
No holidays here for festivals. :\
I’ve never experienced the Puja Spirit anywhere other then UK so for myself it’s a different kind of buzz. But, then i still hvae my parents to get us into the festival season – i wonder how i’ll cope alone. I hope i’d carry it all on but the prayers and arti’s etc – will i recite alone? I wonder. Hmm
amdp: yes, it works differently then… perhaps a side effect of going nuclear 😐
kunal: yep, exactly what i’m talking about
cynic: in the hustle and bustle of day care-schools-education-karate classes-tuitions…, i doubt whether this is a priority..
epiphany: oh, thats a double whammy 😐
austere: yes, there’s always a choice..and that’s the problem, there are too many choices 🙂
kavi: i dont know if its a multiplex mentality.. or whether the multiplex is just another manifestation of our mentality..
nikihil: 🙂
sangeetha: yes, parents are usually the link.. and therefore, all this has a way of diluting itself every generation..
i most certainly hope not. I have every intention to carry the traditions forward – just don’t bank on any glorious food though or a beautiful voice to sing the arti 🙂 .. and chi you spelt my name wrong 🙁
sangeeta: there, i’ve got it right.. apologies..the curious thing is that i wanted to delete the reply and re post it since sangeeta felt ‘out of place’ relative to the san i am used to..but i let it be.. 😀
meanwhile, most people i know, don’t really pass it on..so exceptions can only delay the process.. sadly.. of course, retro could become the rage later 🙂
Ha – I just realised i’ve gone from san to sangeeta to sanny – all depends on the mood!
I might opt for san again – actually no might use my proper pet name, but then that would do injustice to my full name. sighs – I obviously have too much time on my hands to be thinking about my name!
I love the colourful festivals, it’s a shame most ppl our generation (at least on my side of the world) don’t know much about the celebratons etc
its getting very difficult to retain the flavour and authenticity of yester years…
keeping the faith has never been so tough 🙁