Lohri - no peanut festival it is

Lohri is a festival we celebrate with family, friends, neighbors and everyone we connect with just like most of the festivals celebrated all over the world. 

All festivals are about sharing and caring but with progressing times, we gather around a small bonfire in the confinement of our house and sit to chit chat over some peanuts and popcorn.

But no peanut festival it is!

Kids shy from going house to house asking for Lohri contributions, which is very unheard of now-a-days and even if our local residential welfare society is making efforts to gather everyone for a big celebration in a central place, many of us keep ourselves away from such social gatherings citing the reasons of late sitting in office, being tired, and sometimes having a hitch of joining because now we buy and eat whatever we want. 

Now we have our PERSONAL bonfire at home, then why take the trouble of leaving the house in this cold to join a public social do which we do not much associate with.

This is the reason we are more active on social networking sites than on sites which give us an opportunity of networking on personal and social level.

Well, we may be feeling awkward initially joining in but environmentally also if you consider it is a safer option just like car pooling to have a common Lohri bonfire than buying firewood separately. 

It does not occur to us that we are contributors in cutting trees because we just go, pay and get the wood home and burn without giving a thought as we can afford to buy.

But can we afford to cut so many trees and spoil our Eco-system being a partner in a mass destruction of our flora and fauna?

If a single family buys about 20 kg of wood for bonfire; doesn't it make sense if a hundred families get together and share the joy of the festival and minimize this number of wood?

It seems difficult because all of us have our Super egos in between. We have our own ‘what’ll people think? Will they think I’m a miser or I can’t afford it, whereas I can very well have a splendid bash? So why take the trouble?’

Okay, you can’t take this chance of risking your reputation for a meager amount on Lohri celebrations. 

At least you can accept the invitation next time your RWA organizing a joint festival celebration and not to think – why take the trouble?

That’ll be a big change in itself because change starts from self. Everybody thinks what’ll people think and that stops everybody from taking and supporting a good initiative.

That everybody has to be somebody. Let’s that somebody be me and you.

This year I don’t have my personal Lohri bonfire on my terrace because I decided to join the society celebrations. 

It’s a bit weird for me and a first timer but I believe I should and I can so I will and I am proud of myself. 

I’ll be sharing my joy not with my family, friends and neighbors only but with so many people whom I recognize and they also acknowledge me but never shared a LIKE with.

I’ll be sharing my good wishes and greetings with them this year. 

Lohri is the day I start my new year with because I get sunshine on this day after so many wintery cold days and that sunshine must bring some insight as well as some warmth.

So I am off with my new plans, what about u?