Today, I chanced upon a blogpost from yesteryear which mentioned the onset of the festive season. My facebook feed has been full of people bringing in Diwali and everything that comes with it. Now is also probably the time I miss being home the most. Having missed Diwali in Delhi for the fifth time in a row, however, it has slowly started to be like any other day. The American way of life turns Holi, Diwali and every other Indian festival governed by the moon into a weekend event - and that's how Diwali will be spent - doing homework on the day of, and perhaps attending the odd party the following weekend.
The closest I came to celebrating Diwali in the last five years was when I flew out of Delhi the evening before. It always breaks your heart to leave home (rather well documented on this blog), but it's whole new level when you see your home town, covered with the glittering lights of celebration slowly falling away into the darkness below. I guess it wasn't a surprise that there were only 80 people traveling on a plane meant for 350 that day.
G and I were talking about how the joy of this season is more about the anticipation of it than the festive days themselves. The nip in the air is dripping with anticipation - the anticipation of upcoming celebrations, of relief from the months of searing heat, of warm food and cold nights. Enjoy that feeling and all the joys of this festive season, my friends. They don't make festive seasons like that everywhere.
Happy Diwali!
