Festivity and Its Significance: Perspectives of 9 Women

TSS members share what festivity means to them.

Pause, Reset and Recharge

“Festivities help develop social interaction. Celebrating festivals with people belonging to different cultures spreads happiness. Festivals are a source of enjoyment and we make memories with our loved ones.

They remind us that life is full of happiness and joy which we forget due to our responsibilities and duties. Festivals are the time to go back to our roots, spend time with friends and families, remember those good old days and go into a trance of nostalgia. It allows us to lose track of time and have unlimited fun. We get the opportunity to pause, reset and recharge by soaking in the positivity and energy around us.

Celebration of the Human Spirit

Earlier when my son was young, he would ask about every festival. ‘Why do we do this? Who decides these rules?”

That’s when I realised that there are many schools of thought regarding the celebration of festivals that we have simply accepted. A child’s simple and realistic question made me introspect.

Festivals are a celebration of companionship, friendship and togetherness. Every festival is celebrated with loved ones, with music and has an abundance of dance and laughter!! That is what matters in the end! Not the God you believe in or the price of the clothes you can afford or the best pandal you visit. All that is secondary. The celebration of the human spirit is primary.

A Cyclical Order

As Indians, we have a joyful and exuberant way of life. The festivities all around the year vanquish our mundane existence. As one festival ends, we look forward to the next. Durga Pujo is followed by Lokkhi Pujo, then Kalipujo, Diwali and then Christmas which is followed by Sankranti, and Saraswati Pujo. The cycle continues. Loudspeakers playing popular hits, well-lit streets, great food, fun and frolic make up the festive season. But festivities also mean staying alert, avoiding mishaps and expressing gratitude to those who work during these festivals.

Let me share what Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore said, “You are invited to the festival of this world and your life is blessed.”

Reconnecting with Roots

Festivals to me, are an occasion for reconnecting with our roots and traditions. It’s the time to reach out and extend generosity and kindness. I like my celebrations to be inclusive and thoughtful. 

Festivals also mean self-care, preening and getting dressed up, and eating out. And finally, it’s also the time for family and togetherness.

Celebration of Emotional Bonds

Festivals are meant to celebrate the emotional bond with friends, family, and relatives who do not meet for years and years. But these rituals and customs bring us together. The community spirit enhances the spirit of festivities.

Time to Rejuvenate

I was born into a spiritual family that put little emphasis on rituals. Add to that, my Kolkata upbringing, and voila, you have a woman who loves to dress in finery & feast to her heart’s content. To me, festivals do not compulsorily entail preparing different types of savouries & sweets. I end up taking the time off to rejuvenate and relish store-bought items.

Festivals are fun if it’s a collective effort.

A Source of Motivation

Festivities are key in bringing the family together, making new friends, reconnecting with old ones, helping each other, and sharing happiness by doing our bit for the society thereby celebrating the very spirit of mankind. We are meant to share good times and it’s the festivals which help us rekindle the spirit all through the year. Overlooking caste, religion, social status, and mutual differences, we all come together to celebrate the oneness of God and mankind.

To me, festivals motivate me to be a better person and share my happiness with all around me – let’s keep celebrating life with festivities.

An Opportunity to Drive Away the Mundane

Festivities are the time to ignore the mundaneness of daily life to embrace the magnificence of special occasions and events. They are the excuses to declutter and decorate our homes as well as our hearts, and expand both to accommodate more. Festivities also act as opportunities to come out of the confinement of the individual to experience the camaraderie of the collective. It is through festivities that single entities get seamlessly integrated into the social fabric to create a fulfilling whole.

So, let us indulge in the exuberance of festivities as well as spread cheer during these times through random acts of compassion and care.

Renew Existing Bonds

I look at festivities as a wonderful opportunity to renew existing bonds as well as make new ones. It provides us a break away from our routine life which is so much needed for a work-life balance. Festivities are an occasion for me to create cherished memories with loved ones

EDITORIAL TEAM