Diwali Celebrations, Then vs Now
“Traditions touch us, they connect us, and they expand us.”
-Rita Barreto Craig
Diwali, the season of lights and grandeur is here! The festival is more than a mere celebration of the age-old story of Lord Rama’s return to Ayodhya. Today, Diwali is the time when families get together and celebrate the holiday with sweets, exchange of gifts, lights, firecrackers, and so on. However, over time Diwali has evolved to lose the spark, compared to traditional celebration. Let’s go back in time to see how Diwali was celebrated ‘THEN’ and how it is celebrated ‘NOW.’
Winds of Change
A change that the world welcomed. One of the most significant changes in our celebrations is that instead of bursting crackers, which was once the essence of Diwali festivities, green Diwali is now popular all over the world. On Dhanteras, the day before Diwali, a trip to the jeweller was required to purchase gold for good luck. And today, while the number of jewelry sets we purchase have increased, the tradition continues to hold the charm.
Back in the day, sweets would arrive in droves from all of the neighbors and family. It was a very important part of the celebration as it brought friends & family members together. But today, while we are concerned about our nutrition-intake and are wary of diabetes & our dietary consumption, we have lost touch with the roots of our celebration.
Let the Light Shine On!
Remember when we would deck our homes with diyas, dusted and freshly arranged for the celebrations? Well today, while we might have switched to battery-operated strings of fairy lights in a minimal fashion, it would be a feast for our eyes to go back in time and celebrate in an age-old fashion.
Bonus Happiness
We are sure you remember the days when our parents would announce the Diwali Bonus shopping and how it used to spark joy in our hearts. But today, the bonuses are reduced to gift cards and vouchers that add a new twist to our festive shopping spree. While this is part of adapting with changing times, we must remember to carry the essence of traditional celebrations by remembering to give gifts and share love with our dear ones.
The Gen-Z Celebration
Sure, old practices also cause harm to our planet and we consciously avoid celebrating Diwali with all the traditional practices. From wanting to keep the air clean and celebrating sustainably, we have come a long way in understanding why celebrating major festivities sensibly is important.
The goal remains the same: to purify the air and raise our spirits in preparation for the goddess Lakshmi’s arrival.
Let’s continue to hold the festive cheer in our hearts and spread love and happiness among our loved ones. Here’s to celebrating the Festival of Lights with the age-old charm, by getting together and cherishing our dear ones. After all, Diwali is all about the spirit of togetherness and the welcoming of season’s blessings.
Diwali #QuiztivalOfLights
Diwali is almost here, make it a memorable one now by winning the exclusive prize. Participate in the quiz and stand a chance to be selected as one of the three lucky winners!
Follow us on Facebook, Instagram & Twitter to stay updated and participate.
