This conversation started with my family who are scattered all over the place. What makes a festival a festival? How do we create and maintain traditions as we ourselves get older and become heads of families? How do we impart a sense of belonging via traditions to our next generations?
Are there things you are doing to keep your traditions alive? Have you adapted and modified festivities, celebrations and traditions as you have gone on in life? have you started something new? Tell us here....
Tradition to me is about making memories. When I think back, in high school, we had a conversation on the topic, just before Diwali holidays. There was the general appeal of days off from school, fireworks displays and special meals, but there was much more, personal to each family and adored. One friend said that they eagerly looked forward to Diwali eve. The bonus given at her dad’s workplace, typically on the eve of Diwali, based on the company and employee performance decided the celebration, it could be an extra box of sweets, or a movie night or shopping for clothes. Another friend said their thrill was to be the first in the block to light firecrackers the morning of Diwali. As their neighbors, we knew that, they started off even before dawn on Diwali day, before 6 am! One family tradition I could share is a treasure hunt I put together for my daughter’s birthday. I happened to do that some years back, and she loved it so much, she asks me to do that every year! It tests me as it gets trickier for me to put it together as she gets older and a little bit smarter I would like to believe 😊. She may not remember the birthday present she got each year at the end of the hunt, but maybe the treasure hunt is something she will remember and value later!