I love this part of the year; it’s brimming with festivities and holidays. What is it about the festivities that fill up our hearts with joy? Is it the beautiful décor in every house, store, or restaurant? Is it how people we don’t always get to meet extending a reminder that they are thinking about you? Is it the joy in the hearts of people around you? I believe feelings are contagious and when people around you are feeling festive, your spirits are lifted too. At least mine does.
With so many clothing stores tempting me to shop more, with gifting stores making me wonder if my love can be measured in the amount I spent on someone, with gluttony creeping in this festive season – I wonder, is this what festivals are truly about?
This is what celebrating a festival means to me. What does it mean to you?
It’s a time to celebrate connections
You know when you scroll through your Instagram feed during festivities, you find happy faces just taking time out from their busy schedules to connect with their loved ones. Whether you choose to spend time with your family, your friends, your partner or even with your own self, those are moments of quality. How often do we get to do that?
It’s a time to heal
Experts say arts and crafts have the power to heal you. When you spend some time exploring your creativity, your mind blocks out stressful thoughts and you are engaging your vision and imagination in the project at hand. So whether I am painting diyas, decorating my home or something as simple as thoroughly cleaning my house, it is nothing less than therapeutic.
It’s a time for gratitude
Irrespective of your financial health, one can find ways big or small, to find joy and gratitude for what they have. For me, festivals and holidays remind me that I have loved ones and that another year full of lessons passed by. It’s not about quantifying what I achieved or how much I have but feeling gratitude for whatever I do have. It’s a reminder that the past cannot be changed, the future has not arrived yet and the present is all we have. So we might as well light it up with a celebratory spirit.
It’s a time to remember to be kind
While we think of our privileges, this is a time to give back. Festivals are for everyone and why should your privilege predict your joy? It’s a time to share with people who could use some of the blessings you have. Whether you choose to buy greeting cards, decoration elements and gifts made by those in need, or you donate to an NGO of your choice, it counts. Whatever you choose to do for another person, it will bring a smile on their face. Isn’t that the whole point of celebrating together?
It’s a time to promote sustainability
The thing is, our festivals were started in an era that never thought about environmental hazards and sustainability. While we love the festive cheer, this is a time to take up the responsibility of our environment. It’s important to talk about the harmful impact of crackers, the safety of animals and find other ways of celebrating events. Each year, the way we celebrate festivals can show us a real picture of how we, as humans, are progressing in our pursuit of saving our planet.
What festivals aren’t, for me
- It’s not about how much money we spend on gifts.
- It’s not about buying new clothes for every festival because that increases our carbon footprint.
- It’s not about competing with each other in terms of who brought in the festival in the most lavish way.
- It’s not about only taking and not giving back.
- It’s not about enjoying that which damages our environment and animals.
Also Read: Go Green Or Go Home: How Youngsters Are Gravitating Towards Sustainable Celebrations