India is a land of many cultures and we take pride in our rich heritage. An integral part of this culture are our festivals. Regardless of the festival, be it Diwali, Holi, Christmas or Eid, the celebrations are full of pomp, glitter and grandeur. These festivals unify us and help reinforce our identity as part of a larger community.
Over time, there is a growing perception that the festivals are not the same anymore. The way we celebrate has changed and they have lost the 'charm'. It’s worth understanding if this is really so. Back in the 1980s, when I was in my teens, growing up in Bhopal, festival celebrations had a different look. Wearing new clothes on festivals, especially Diwali, Eid and Christmas, was a major activity.
Fabric would be bought months in advance to be stitched by the neighbourhood tailor. After multiple fitting sessions, there was an indelible thrill in wearing the new outfit on the big day.
The biggest attraction of the festivities was food. We enjoyed having a variety of homemade sweets and savouries, including many made especially during festivals. We would subsequently exchange these delicacies with neighbours and friends.
The other popular 'family' ritual during festivals was shopping. Apart from many small gadgets and items being purchased, people would save for months, make advance bookings for a car, bike, TV and other expensive gadgets, and have it delivered around the festival time.
Now, however, things are different. With millions of options available online, wearing new clothes at a festival is not as exciting. The choicest of sweets are available all through the year, easily home delivered.
One need not wait for Diwali to have gujiyas or for Eid to have seviyan or for Christmas to have plum cake. While shopping still happens during festivals, with a range of e-commerce sites and malls offering discounts round the year, there is no dire need to wait for a festival to make the purchase.
A new trend during festivals is to go on a vacation during the festival holidays. People prefer just running away from the sweets, decoration, shopping and the socialising pressure altogether. While all these developments can be attributed to generational change and influence of technology and social media, there are critiques, who question the celebration.
Be it the health critic questioning the overload of sweets, the environmentalist making noise about the Diwali fireworks, the water conservationist criticising water wastage in Holi or the nationalist questioning the use of Chinese made decoration lights; voices are raised on many aspects of celebration. Thanks to digital and social media, these opinions get widely shared.
In the overarching wave of consumerism and the domineering influence of technology, the key point is why we celebrate the festival and not how.
In reality, the festivals have not changed, people's attitudes have. People choose their own way to celebrate and do not feel the need to align with the masses. As long as the core fabric of the society is not disturbed and the essence of the festival is not lost, we should adjust and adapt to the changing times.
(The writer is a startup evangelist, author and blogger and can be contacted at hetal.sonpal@gmail.com)