My Middle Class Lens: Fancy New Year Celebrations? Nah, It Is Just Another Day

The excitement for New Year gains new heights each year. People plan trips, family gatherings and late-night parties to kickstart the new year with a bang. However, for the middle-class section of society, things are different. New Year is like just another day in their lives when they wake up and get engaged in daily chores. Even if they want to do something special, their limit stops at preparing good food. Apart from that, for middle-class families, the new year brings another day of struggle and survival.

It has been years since I last celebrated New Year or New Year’s Eve. Being in a middle-class family, new years are not an occasion for us. My family wakes up at the same time, prepares the same meal and does the same chores. The maximum that we do is wish each other Happy New Year or prepare a good meal. We always wonder and talk about those families who plan trips and party all night to celebrate the new year. Because for us, it just seems a waste of money. “1^st January comes every year. What’s so special about it?” My father says this every year. And being habituated to this environment, I don’t find it weird or feel left out. Sometimes my siblings cry for a New Year party but at the end of the day, they reconcile with the fact that our financial issues and ethics don’t allow fancy celebrations. Our minds are now wired in a way that we rarely expect anything special on these days. But if special happens, we welcome it open-handed.

New Year From Middle Class Lens

It is not that we never celebrated New Year. I remember when I was a kid, I and my father used to buy greeting cards and write wishes for my relatives. With excitement and hope, I used to write the address of my relatives. But I still don’t know whether those cards were ever delivered. Even though I don’t practice that ritual anymore, it was special for me. Many would wonder what was so nice about writing greeting cards but let me tell you that in the 90s greeting cards were the fancier ways to send wishes when mobile, filters and animation were not available to all of us. This low-budget but sweet New Year celebration is what I miss even today. I don’t care about people’s rolling eyes because I am grateful that despite the fact that New Year's are not considered an occasion in my family, my father tried to make it special.

You know what I like about middle-class families is the sweet and simple ways in which they spend special occasions. Although our special dinner is mainly about the traditional Indian dish, for us it is fancier than the all-night parties. Although watching movies, photo albums and recreating memories are mundane, we find pleasure in that ordinariness. I never regretted not being a part of one of those families that make every occasion fancy and extraordinary.

The most important lesson that I learnt as a middle-class section of society is how to enjoy while being minimalistic. Yes, there are financial issues. But the minimalist way in which we live has never made me sad about anything. I have learnt to find happiness in small things and make them the most special moments of life.

This New Year is also gonna be as ordinary as before. We won’t be travelling, dancing at parties or"> dressing up fancily. But I am thankful for the fact that I will be with my family, enjoying a delicious meal and having a sound sleep. What else is required for a good start to a New Year?

Views expressed are the author's own.

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