New Year Resolution: Let Us Change The Way We Celebrate These Five Festivals

Festivals are fun-time for each one of us. It is the time when families and friends get together, taking out some time from their busy schedules. Food, decorations and talks- everything seems beautiful during festivals. But would this all make sense if festivals are turned into opportunities to offend people?

In our society, festivals are often seen as an opportunity to hurt people physically and emotionally. It also impacts the climate which leads to drastic results like floods, melting of glaciers, heat waves and more. If we continue to do so, festivals will stop being a fun time and rather become a reason for the destruction of the surrounding. And this will automatically put a pause on the fun that we have during festivals. Do we really want this? No. So this year, let's promise ourselves to celebrate festivals differently

1. Holi is a festival of colours, not harassment

Often during Holi, people harass women by forcefully applying colours on their bodies. Moreover, women get harassed by people who loiter on the streets after getting drunk. Rather than being a festival of destroying enmity, Holy becomes a festival that gives lifetime trauma to women. But this year, let us change. Let us make Holi a friendly festival for all. Let us remember the importance of consent when it comes to applying colours to anybody, irrespective of gender or age. Let us look at everybody with respect so that no one ends up putting the wrong eyes on anyone.

2. Diwali should brighten the surroundings not destroy it

Diwali is famously known as a festival of lights in which good wins over evil. However, the practice of bursting crackers during Diwali plays the opposite role by giving chance to the evil of harmful gases to destroy the environment. This impact on the environment affects the lives of people and other living things. Moreover, the lack of accuracy in bursting crackers leads to haphazard which is often fatal. So this year, let us make Diwali a festival to lighten the surroundings rather than polluting them with poison. Let us light diyas and shift to eco-friendly crackers. In fact, we should try to reduce the bursting of crackers or work hard to not let the gases released into the environment impact the air and the surrounding. And as far as safety is concerned, let us prioritise it over everything else. Let us not make Diwali an opportunity to try our hands on dangerous objects like crackers.

3.  Eid should be celebrated with waste management

During Eid, a lot of waste is produced. When people visit mosques to offer prayers, they often litter the space causing land pollution. Moreover, the pollution worsens when they leave the leftover blood, fat, liver and intestines of animals after their sacrifice. So this Eid, let us celebrate love and harmony without impacting the surrounding. Let us hug each other remembering the value of a clean environment that has gifted us with life and health.

4. Rakshabandhan should not emphasise gender roles

In our society, Rakshabandhan is celebrated to thank brothers for protecting their sisters. But the vice versa is never considered. It is assumed that the brother, no matter how young he is, is responsible for protecting the sister. In this way, Rakshabandhan emphasises gender roles in which men get the role to protect and women are asked to submit. But this year, let us celebrate Rakshabandhan as a way to celebrate sibling bonds, without any unequal obligation. Both brothers and sisters should tie Rakhi to each other as a symbol of love and gratitude.

5. Christmas

It is that time of the year again when people indulge in holidays for winter and Christmas. Everyone keeps a Christmas tree which after disposal causes a lot of pollution. Christmas is no longer about religious sentiments but about partying, buying gifts and indulging in decadence. But in 2023, let us celebrate Christmas not only for parties but also for remembering the God who was born on this day. Let us make Christmas a time to bond with family and friends emotionally rather than indulging in materialistic ways of expressing love.

The views expressed are the author's own.

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