2008
January 2, 2008 at 8:18 am (new year)
I recently read an interview where celebrities spoke of their plans for the New Years. One of them (I just cannot seem to remember who) had said that he does not believe in celebrating New Years because he felt it was a western concept and is hyped up in India by greeting card companies to promote sales.
He went on to say that our regional cultures have their own New Years according to their respective calendars and he likes to celebrate that in the traditional way.
Point taken, but I do have something to say in defence of the rest of the masses who like celebrating the New years the western way.
While I agree with him that its a bit too much for us to celebrate mothers’ day, fathers’ day, brothers’ day & sisters’ day over here, I see no harm in celebrating New Years.
Come on, we’re talking about coming together of all cultures in a global village!
We’re no longer cut off from various other cultures across the world, thanks to our tecnological advancements. And what’s wrong in joining the rest of the world in celebrating the birth of a New Year according to the most popular calendar in the world?
There’s a lot of happiness and goodwill going around the world and we’re just joining the band wagon to feel some of the cheer.
We do celebrate New Year according to our own culture too. But I must say our celebrations are subdued compared to this. What exactly do we do on a Tamil New year or Ugadhi? Make payasam, go to the temple, eat bitter-sweet pachchidi and get on with our lives. So why can’t we do that and have a more boisterous New Year on Dec 31st as well?
These days its all about being open to good ideas from other cultures. Its totally hypocritical to look down on something, just because it was not in our culture before.
If the so-called culture police is so against western stuff, why do they take off on Sundays? The weekend concept is western. In traditional Indian culture, people rested on Tuesdays, since its inauspicious to do any work that day.
Why don’t they stick to Veshtis instead of trousers and shirts?
These are the days of restaurants serving Chinese, Lebonese and Italian food along side authentic chettinad fare.
We have multiplexes, food-courts and shopping malls which are as good as any we can find abroad.
But we still value our culture and observe all our traditional practices.
My point is they adapt western ways when its convenient to them. But all of a sudden they go gung-ho opposing something as harmless as having fun in on the New Years day!
And for the greeting card manufacturers, most of them are hitting rock-bottom, thanks to the e-cards and group sms-es!!!
