Dussera and Diwali and two festivals (especially in Delhi and other parts of North India ) when people prepare for two different things - winter and festivity. Dussera is a time when the festivity is taken seriously - for all 10 days and gives us the glimpse of another festival which we are awaiting for - Diwali. I remember- a few days before Diwali, my grandfather would ask my grandmother if he needs to buy ghee or extra sugar or besan and other items for sweets and spicy snack items to be prepared during Diwali. My grandma would discuss it with my mom about the availability of raw materials and would let him know what is to be bought and at what quantities. Overhearing this conversation itself brought a great joy of the upcoming festival for me. Grandfather would take his typical shopping bag and would slowly walk to the shop after lunch in the afternoon when sun would be smiling at us after a chilly morning. It is a custom in our house to make sweets and distribute it among friends. Some friends would even tell dad that they would like to have more of one particular sweet since they loved it a lot the last year. Crackers, new clothes, wishes and phone calls made to closest relatives where we would get a chance to talk to our cousins to (once in a year) was icing the cake.
Halloween- a festival that comes during the same time as our own Diwali isn't much different. First of all there is an air of festivity around here. The way diyas make way to our homes, here pumpkin plays the same role. It is new clothes and crackers for us, while children here look forward to fancy clothes(of course, who will miss a chance to become batman or disney princess) and treat they get. We decorate with lights while they decorate with scary ghosts, spiders, funny dolls. It is fun to watch how people decorate their houses. On Diwali you have pretty big movie releases and so are scary movies during Halloween. Deals and discounts are a part of any country during festivity season.
But now things are changing. Yesterday I was talking to a friend who had returned to India last year after staying in USA for three years. He said " if you think crackers, sweets and lights are highlighting factors, forget it. People nowadays either shut themselves in front of TV which would promise to show blockbusters released a few months ago or they would party all night on Diwali or better still, they would hang out in a mall and eat. " I was very disappointed and did not know whom to blame- the people and their boredom to have patience to celebrate or the cable;e channels or the monstrous mall culture that is slowly eating away everything.
I have read in magazines about people here in good olden days too when they would be reminiscing that as a child they would plan their Halloween costume a month in advance, would manage to make creative ones without spending too much and would carry their basket for trick or treat to every house. That day would be spent on gorging on sweets and would not even care to have dinner. When we came here as the new residents in our apartments, the previous tenant told us that during Halloween, children would knock at our home and we must have our treats ready for them. Nothing of that sort happened that year. The next year we decided to spend our Halloween in the mall. And there we could find children in their fancy outfits flocking outside every shop for trick or treat. Life was not all that hard work anymore. People would buy outfits from mall, dress up their kids and bring them out on the Halloween. Spectators like us with amusement would spot a lion king pulling his fur awkwardly or Cinderella crying because her shoes hurt her ;) or even 4 month old spiderman with a teether. So, the mall culture has swallowed the joy of celebrating festivals here too.
There is only one solace - thankfully I have taken my culture with me and good memories about festival too so that I atleast try and continue celebrating in the similar manner as it was celebrated at my home.
