Celebrating life through festivities and joy

Festivals can be of any form, such as cultural or personal, and every festival opens the door to boredom-free enjoyment. Besides it being a childhood habit, grown-up people can have an escape from the hurdles of life. It gives a feeling that no matter how worked up we get, we can always have some time for relaxation with our families and loved ones.
In this era of communication, sometimes it might get hard to communicate- without the screen between us. The family bonding and the face-to-face heartwarming conversations do not seem like before. But festivals give us a second chance to nourish ourselves through that age-old tradition of being together, celebrating together and cheering to life- together.
Mrs Protima Dutt is a retired govt employee. She thinks festivals have been an occasion for her and her family for many years during her work life. She used to go to visit her siblings during the holidays. Even now, festivals give her the opportunity to meet her dear ones all at once.
"Durga Puja is the annual festival that is very important to us. Though I can't visit the pandals due to my health issues, my children living in farer cities visit me during this festival. They have fun with one another, share the stories that are left unsaid. I just feel good to see them. My small grandkid is a bonus point these days as he is learning new things every now and then. It is relieving to have them if not everyday but during Puja and also other holidays."
We have to travel away from home because of work, study, etc. Life, livelihood, or even the dream destination sometimes take us away from our families. But no matter how far the branches go up, they are always connected with the roots. The roots nourish us and give us the compassion to go further in life- to be stronger and emotionally vulnerable when needed.
In life, failure and success go hand in hand; we just cannot get enough of them. But home is where our souls rest and rejuvenate for a tougher daily struggle. Festivals give us a way to celebrate, take a break to breathe, look around and relax.
Jakir Hossain Raju is a sub-editor at a national news agency. He shares his thoughts on the relationship between festivals and family bonding, "It extends the opportunity of getting together all of the family members, creating sweet memories or cherishing the old ones. It also opens the door of clearing out all the misunderstandings among the family members and knowing each other more closely, provides the field to share how their life is going nowadays or what is new."
Khadizatul Kobra is a thesis student at Bangladesh Agricultural University. She has been travelling from home to university for more than six years. It is not like before when every day started with her family. Now, only during Eid or some other holiday is the time to go home and spend some time with loved ones. She thinks this experience gives us a fresh perspective on life.
Tithi Deb Puja is a school teacher who finds festivals to be the bridge between the old and the new, "Festival is something that brings the family members closer to one another. As a teacher I always encourage my students to celebrate every kind of festival they come across without any superstition in mind. And they share stories with me after the holidays get over."
She further shares, "I find the stories amazing as there are different plots every time. Sometimes they go to a holiday destination during the festivals, sometimes guests come over- it is always a great splash of enjoyment for the children of the family as they are all about excitement. Some children also help their parents or grandparents in the festival procedures and keep learning about them. This creates a special bonding between the elder and the younger- the old and the new."
She also believes the enjoyment during a festival takes away the work stress from her, which is very important for our busy and fast life.
Saiyeda Tasmim is a first-year student of Begum Rokeya University who is not yet accustomed to staying away from home. The wait to come home during the holidays makes the festival time more special for her, "As long as the festival days come, I keep waiting for the holidays to start so that I can come home to spend time with my family, and especially my cats- Olive and Guddu. It was not very long ago when I used to be with my family all the time, but now only the holidays are the time to be with them."
This legacy of celebration and spreading happiness among loved ones has been passed down for generations. As days passed, newer generations added other dimensions to it, but the spirit of festivals remained the same. Making cherishable memories with the people who gave us birth, with whom we grew up and who added a new dimension to our existence is not something that we can forget through the hassling lifestyle. We should always make some excuse, such as festivals, to go back home- again and again.

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