The family tradition we are proud to pass on to our kids

Diwali is a big festival across India and celebrating it with lights, sweets, and crackers is a part of the family tradition. Lighting candles, gifting sweets and bursting crackers is something that I learned from my parents. Today I am proud that my kids are carrying forward the family tradition though they prefer a quieter Diwali. As a result, Diwali at my place is now more about lights and sweets and less about crackers.

The Indian culture is full of festivals and every festival has an importance to the community that celebrates it. Diwali, Holi, Bhaidooj, Id, Gurupurab are important festivals in India. On the other hand, Christmas and Thanksgiving are important to the rest of the world. Thanksgiving is a beautiful harvest festival celebrated all across the US of A and Canada. The tradition of the entire family coming together and celebrating with a Turkey dinner is a beautiful one. Similarly, the sisters visiting their brother on a Rakhi and tying a thread of bond makes everyone happy.

Festivals bring a lot of positive energy into our life. In our daily journey, we tend to collect more negative energy may be due to office stress or due to household pressures. These negative energies keep adding till the time we reach a festival that gives us a reason to celebrate and smile. Festivals are like the day you encash your savings in a fixed deposit in form of happiness. So, keep enjoying the festivals and keep adding your positive energies.

The family tradition that comes bundled with festivals

I remember growing up with my father who was a role model for me. It’s a separate issue that I could never match his skill sets. But one thing I learned from him was the Kalam-dawat pooja. Its a festival where we offer prayers to Shri Chitragupt ji (Its the pooja of the pen and ink). I belong to a Kayastha family and it is said that the Kayastha community is the descendant of Shri Chitragupt ji. He is the one who keeps an account of the karma of all people and accordingly sends them to heaven or hell.

Today I felt proud when my son performed the Kalam-dawat pooja right beside me. I am sure if my dad was alive he would have felt proud seeing the family tradition being carried forward.

Every festival has a set of traditions and it’s our parents who teach us how to perform it. When we are children we don’t take it seriously. However the day we have to shoulder the responsibilities of parents with kids around we play the rewind button.

The rituals that we imbibed watching our parents perform

This Karva Chauth my daughter called my wife asking for the rituals to be performed on the day. Karva Chauth is a festival where wives fast the whole day for the safe and long life of their husbands and breaking the fast after seeing the moon. The festival is celebrated mainly in the northern parts of India. In my childhood, I used to sit next to mom and listened to the story of Savitri and her husband Satyavan.

The Laxmi Pooja on Diwali is when all the family members assemble in front of the Goddess Laxmi and recite “Om Jai Jagdish hare…”. The ritual of lighting candles after the pooja has been performed and taking blessings from the elders is something now my kids have started practicing. Making a colourful Rangoli on Diwali is a part of the celebration and getting kids involved makes the entire exercise even more pleasurable.

The family tradition reflect the upbringing of your child

Greet any guest who comes home with a namaste. On the other hand, if it is a family gathering take the blessings of the elders by touching their feet. These are a few teachings imparted to us since childhood.

If a guest arrives at home ask the guest to be seated, offer a glass of water followed by a cup of tea. Show him that he is welcomed. This is what is reflected in the Ministry of Tourism ad campaign captioned “Atithi Deva Bhava” meaning Guest is equivalent to God.

It was fun making your kids learn the family tradition

Festivals bring in a lot of positive energies. A big Christmas tree decorated with gift parcels and lights kept at the entrance of every market place and in hotel lobbies still gives me goosebumps. I still remember getting surprise gifts for my kids and hiding them in their bedroom a day before Christmas. Watching children looking for their Christmas gifts behind the pillows and under the bed was so much fun. It was only after my kids graduated from their primary school they realised that it was their Dad and not Santa who used to leave the gifts for them.

Last Christmas my daughter who is now married called me a day before the festival reminding me about her Santa gift. As a result, I went to the market, got some stuffed toys, and surprised her with that. She was happy to get the gift and I was happy to keep the family tradition alive. She still says that I am still a Santa in her life.

Celebrating with parents

Lighting Diwali crackers with my father is something that will always stay in my memory. He would watch us lighting the crackers under his supervision. The heavy-duty bombs and rockets were his responsibility. On the other hand, the lighter ones like Chakri, Anar, and Phooljari were ours. The next day of Diwali was scratching the left-over candles from the parapets, melting them, inserting a thick thread, and making a new candle.

Holi was about filling the water balloons the previous day and aiming it on all visitors from the rooftop. Rakhi was to show your love respect for the sisters and bonding with them.

Every festival has taught us some tradition in one way or the other and you feel good when you see that your kids are also practicing the same.

You can read more such stories on my blog. Click on the following link:

A Happiness Quotient with the festival season

Dussehra and Diwali: Festivals were fun with Dad and Mom

One of the oldest cities in India is Varanasi. Know more about this city which reflects the Indian culture very strongly:

https://www.outlookindia.com/traveller/ot-getaway-guides/varanasi-sacred-paradox/