October 21, 2006
Happy DiwaliHolidays
In my obliviousness, I almost scheduled a meetup today. [Is it my fault that I celebrated Hanukkah more than Diwali as a kid?] To atone for this earlier oversight, therefore, I bring you the official Diwali greeting from the government of Canada:
“On behalf of Canada’s new government, I would like to extend my warmest greetings and best wishes to members of the Indo-Canadian community as you celebrate Diwali… Every year, this joyous occasion is celebrated by some one billion people of the Hindu, Sikh and Jain faiths around the world. And that includes some one million of our fellow citizens right here in Canada. Friends, as you gather with your loved ones amid a sea of flickering flames, please know that the thoughts of our government are with you. Over the years, the Indo-Canadian community has made a tremendous contribution to our great country. Your work ethic and commitment to family and community serve as an inspiration to all…Happy Diwali to all. Namaste. Sat Sri Akal. Thank you.” [Prime Minister Stephen Harper of Canada]
Why Canada? Well, Ottawa is closer to North Dakota than Washington DC is, but mainly it’s because Google News brought it to my attention, whereas I had to go rooting around for the American counterpart.
Not to be outdone by their neighbors up north, the White House celebrated Diwali with a party for the fourth year running, although Bush was away and so sent a written greeting instead. Here’s a description of the event:
The White House celebrated Diwali, the festival of lights, in the historic Indian Treaty Room in the Old Executive Building for the fourth successive year. More than 150 guests were in attendance, among them many prominent members of the Indian American community. President George W Bush, who was busy campaigning for his besieged Republican Party in Pennsylvania and Virginia, however failed to be there.Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy Karen Hughes keynoted the event as chief guest, and Jay Hein, Deputy Assistant to the President and Director of the Office of the Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, lit the diya. [Link]
BTW, I’m pretty sure that’s the “Native American treaty room” and not the “Brownz treaty room” but I’ll take what we can get especially since Diwali did not merit an official proclamation unlike “Leif Erikson Day, 2006”, “General Pulaski Memorial Day, 2006”, “Gold Star Mother’s Day, 2006” or “National Character Counts Week, 2006”. But who am I to complain - the White House at least knew when Diwali is!
Related posts: A stamp of approval, White House celebrates Diwali, In Barbie’s Closet
UPDATE:
I realize I may not have been clear enough about this originally. The President was unable to attend Diwali celebrations at the White House in part because he was campaigning for Senator Allen’s re-election bid:
President Bush last week helped raise money in two of the year’s most controversial re-election campaigns, stumping for Republican Rep. Don Sherwood in Pennsylvania and Sen. George Allen in Virginia. [Link]
ennis on October 21, 2006 01:38 PM in Holidays, Humor · T·r·a·c·k·b·a·c·k address · Direct link · Email post
I'm taking the day off next year, I've decided.
Our shared holiday is Thanksgiving. YUM :)
Hughes is the U.S. government's official chief of foreign propoganda. It is telling that she was the one sent to the Diwali meet-and-greet.
Happy Diwali/Deepavali to all those who celebrate!
A Very Happy Diwali to everyone on Sepia Mutiny. May the following year bring you contentment, joy, success, and the company of warm-hearted friends & family who fill your lives with light and love.
Here is an appropriate short song from a certain dubious Bollywood film last year.
"Happy Bandi Chhor Divas" to the Sikhs here too :)
Wolf said:
Here's the official explanation:
You're right though - there is a big difference in emphasis between the Canadian and American approaches to Diwali. Canada celebrates Diwali as something that Canadian citizens do, whereas the US government emphasizes the foreign connection more. You can see both strands in Hughes statement here:
Happy Deepavali to all on SM.
Good summary of the two approaches. What does celebrating Diwali have to do with US foreign policy???
Ennis,
Sorry to be picky... but the proud Canadian in me cannot let this go...
It's OttAwa!!!
Happy Diwali everyone!
Well, at least Yahoo knows what's up.
Happy Diwali all.
happy deepavali/diwali, everybutty!
Happy Diwali to all :)
Happy Diwali to everybody at SM
A very Happy Diwali and a Happy New Year to everyone. I settled for Dim Sum at a food festival in Chinatown instead of desi sweets. Maybe tomorrow I'll have some ladoos. I'm craving laddos like nobody's business!
I went to Rajbhog in Jackson Heights last weekend to pick up some mithai. It was quite cold, and the subway rumbling above was louder than any of the music blasting from cars, but the lit up trees were lovely and reminded me that this is a real holiday too.
Happy Diwali everyone. This year marks the first ever I've received Diwali greetings from friends, acquaintances and colleagues - an indication of how my circle has changed since last year - and I'm really touched. I just lit a candle for the first time in months. Rock on.
Tamasha, I got the same feeling just now buying diyas and ghee in Berkeley. It was nice. :-)
Happy Diwali everyone! Best wishes to all the Mutineers, and thanks to the Mutineering Team in Dakota for providing such a warm and bright space for our celebrations!
Happy Diwali all!
id like to wish a happy diwali to everyone!!! :)
Well, for that last couple of years at least, the GOI (government of India) has been putting out ads in the newspapers warning people against the use of explosive firecrackers and other fireworks during Diwali. During this time of year in the part of India I am usually in, the streets become ablaze with tumultuous noise (they sound almost like bombs, very shocking and rattles your brain/body for like a whole 10 minutes after) and sparkling fireworks that do sometimes burn and really damage people for life. There is no telling that crowd however to refrain from such things. I think the GOI has more success with it's message in metros than in small towns and villages.
For Ram Bhaktas Diwali is very significant as it pertains to Ram Lila and even for Krishna bhaktas - they have their own interpretation as to what the deeyas signify within the Lila of Sri Krishna's manifested advent and adventures on this earth.
Govardhan puja, or the worship of Govardhan Hill in the area Braj is also done around this time with great fervor. Literally thousands upon thousands of bhog items (food offerings) are offered at the "foot" of Goverdhan Hill by the Brij basis and out of towners who come there just for the occasion.
It commemorates Sri Krishna's lifting of the Hill 5,000 years earlier.
Tonite the whole of Goverdhan will be covered in firey deeyas. And yeah, the firecrackers and almost atomic bombs will be going off there too, all night, way into the wee hours of the morning.
In stark contrast to PG's depiction of the Indian festivities, our family will be celebrating by not eating the salmon I put in the fridge to marinate after forgetting that we're supposed to eat all vegetarian today. So it's sweet potatoes and salad for this Punju family. Any fire will be from an excess of hot sauce or the overconsumption of achar with dinner.
Happy Diwali to the SM community!
HAPPY DEEPAVALI TO ALL OF YOU!!!
make sure you eat some wobatu, you k-digaz out there!!!
America can be a very, very, very boring country at times. Especially at times like these, when India is jumping with activity day and night.
Happy Deepavali!!!
Oh, I dunno, PG, some of us Americans will be jumping up and down this weekend. ;)
Happy Govardhan Puja too!
Still, the bhav is not the same here.
Shubh Deepavali to everyone who celebrates it.
May your new year be filled with light, luck, love and a lack of lame comments from annoying people. That last bit is money, y'all, don't act like you don't know. ;)
Forgive me, but I do believe the bhav comes from within each person, so...
Yes, I'm defensive. America may be a lot of things, but boring it is not.
Tamasha, you are absolutely right. But talking to it just encourages it, so Ssshhhh.
I ain't never said I was bored. My family with only salad and sweet-potato casserole is too much for most mere mortals to handle, nohow.
Firecrackers? We don't need no steenkin' firecrackers.
Pardesi, I'm going to give you the benefit of my doubt, but that comment reeks of eau de Troll. This is an America-based blog, with American bloggers. A good portion of our audience is American. It's weird and a little uncomfortable if not downright inappropriate to bait people in to sticking up for their birthplace/country when they're just trying to marinate in the joy of a precious holiday. As such...
...typing that doesn't take away the sting. An insult then "Happy Diwali!"? Not kosher, IMO.
Let's keep the thread festive from now on, shall we?
Do some people consider the Deewali the start of a new year? I never came across that before? In which region of India?
Diwali is today, and the New Year begins Monday.
In which region of India?
PG,
Mostly for traders. But within Jains, it starts Jain year.
Merchants start new bookkeeping @ Diwali. It is not equivalent to Chinese New Year. The original significance has nothing to do with New Year.
My inbox is filled with emails from mutineers, each wishing me a happy new year. I'm Christian, so it's not MY new year, but I appreciate the kind wishes for good stuff in the coming year which I've received from my Punjabi/Mallu/Bong Hindu friends. Just because one region doesn't do something, doesn't mean another one won't...that seems like South Asia 101, to me.
Happy Diwali! Yay!
It is not equivalent to Chinese New Year
I stand corrected. In addition to Jain calender, others too see it as a start of New Year too.
I would say in practical terms, it is that businessmen across India irrespective of religion use Diwali to start new ventures/ new bookkeeping.............new, new, new.
Happy Deepavali. May the Goddess confer her blessings upon all y'all brownz.
Peace
Is Kerala the only state where most people don't care much about Diwali (some communities do)? Anyone here know about whether the "seven sisters" (Arunachal,Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Tripura, Mizoram, Manipur) have Deepavali? Do Hindus in Bangladesh and Pakistan celebrate it? Tamils in Sri Lanka sure do. I'd be curious to know how the role of Lanka in the Ramayana colors the celebrations there.
HAPPY DIWALI EVERYONE!
Happy Deepavali everyone!
Also: Mumbai felt like a freaking warzone - uff! It's the festival of lights people! Not the festival of sound!
Or to put it more succinctly in Tamil:
It's Deepavali, not Chatthavali!
You're a legend PG! I think before you came on the scene I was totally disengaged with my culture and focussed on the depraved west...
You keep it so much more real than any of us ever can...throwing in little bits of authentica wherever possible, who could forget that classic lingam reference...In fact I think you should write a big fat chick lit novel about mangoes, snakes, gurus, elephants, curry and YOU :)
As for those who taunt you, don't be daunted...find peace deep within the 'om' of 'home.' It should be pretty obvious to your haters that someone who gave themselves a name that means 'Foreigner / White' clearly, clearly deserves an honorary doctorate in postcolonial studies.
I have a theory that you're a fat brown guy who's just sitting there tap-tap-tapping away at your computer, withholding your email address and laughing like hell at those who pick up your bait. Either that or someone's been slipping something into what you consume at the ashram...
Happy Deepavali to you too :)
Well, the first time I heard Deepavali is celebrated for Rama killing Ravana (or coming back to Ayodhya..whatever it is..) or it is the start of the Gujarati new year is when I attended a Diwali function in US .. I was surprised to see Ravana's image with 10 heads being burnt and then found out from my friend.. (that was before wiki) It is celebrated for different reasons by different people all over India.. In the south (atleast in TN) it is celebrated because some Goddess killed Naragasura.. People just have fun having new clothes/ good food/ bursting crackers and don't really mind why it is celebrated.. :-)
A couple of things:
(1) Tash - can I be your best friend?
(2) When I read this:
I seriously thought, "Tennessee?!?!" which proves that I have indeed disengaged with my culture.
(3) When speaking of how Diwali is celebrated in different parts of India, I would like to add that it is celebrated differently in different families as well. My family focused less on (what we called) the "stories" of the Ramayana, and more on the idea of celebrating knowledge and awakening. For Diwali, we give each other gifts of books. It's a personal tradition that I've always been quite proud of.
(4) Wiki on Diwali in other parts of the world.
Just in time for Diwali, the latest issue of Kahani is called Holidays. It's got stories on Diwali, Eid, Navratri, Thanksgiving - our way of making sure that 10 years from now, our SA kids will not be echoing Tamasha's sentiments in #1!!
I think before you came on the scene I was totally disengaged with my culture and focussed on the depraved west
Maybe in the New Year you'll resolve to leave the depraved West for the pious lands of Arabia. Happy Diwali to you too :)
Where are all the Gujus at? Sal mubarak!
Happy Diwali Y'all!
Saal Mubarak!
A very Happy Diwali and Saal Mubarak to everyone.
Kurma:
I left TRV late August 2002. No Diwali during my stay, but I was there for Onam. I remember the awesome paper lanterns.
Happy Diwali y'all!
*hops up and down doing Snoopy dance, cooing Diwali carols*
wishing all of u a happy and prosperous Diwali.
Only if you can handle becoming even more white on the inside ;)
??
...anyways I'm seconding Yeti's dance although I dunno what Diwali carols are. Happy Diwali :)
"HAPPY DIWALI AND A PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR TO ALL SM FOLKS"From the "OVER 60 GUJARATI DAD"
Happy Diwali y,all.
happy diwali, saal mubarakh to everyone...
and of course happy days for all who don't celebrate as well..
a holiday is a holiday is a holiday for all to enjoy... (i know i enjoy xmas, and other festivities, although it may not be in my faith)
may your year be filled with love, happiness, laughter, and many many many hugs and twirls...
Gori, you mean? ;)
Thanks for encouraging me to write. People have told me to do it for years and I used to be quite a prolific (if not good) writer, of many things - diares, poems, study notes, lecture summaries etc. I wrote all the time. Not so anymore. Don't know why the change.
Plus, alot of what I have to write about has already been done, and probably much better than I could.
But it's still an idea I toy with.
The "west" is no more depraved than elsewhere, Tash, but I still say America is boring compared to India, in my opinion. Though sometimes I need boring to balance out the hustle and bustle of small town and metro Indian life.
No, but after weighing myself this morning, I have gained 10 pounds in the past two weeks. Yikes! It's my high carb content diet.
In the ashram I stayed in no bhang/ganja allowed. Not even coffee/tea. But the kheer is intoxicating!
Find peace deep within the "om" of home? Ha ha ha. Corny, but funny.
Pardesi Gori can be translated as Foriegn beauty also. But literally it means foreign golden girl coz gora/gori does not really mean white, rather it means gold/golden.
There is one avatar of Krishna by the name of Goranga Mahaprabhu - The Golden Limbed Master. He is revered by Gaudiya (Goriya?) Vaishnavas. He is referred to as "Gora" for short in Bengali.
Also, another name for Parvati, the wife of Mahadeva Shiva is "Gori" - golden beauty.
Hence, Jai Jai Gori Shankar.
Already done, except it's not exclusively chick lit...
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product//0767915747/ref=cm_aya_asin.title/104-0809055-8151914?ie=UTF8
This book is HILARIOUS. I laughed because she was funny, and I laughed because she was true.
I had been in almost every situation I read in that book.
And, many people tell me I look like the cover pic of Mahadeva with pink sunglasses, not just because I have several pairs of retro style sunglasses like that, but similar facial structure as that pic.
Oh my god. Is this for real?
Is what for real? That book? It's kind of an autobiographical-travelogue-comedy. A very quick, funny and endearing read.
> Also, another name for Parvati, the wife of Mahadeva Shiva is "Gori" - golden beauty.
> Hence, Jai Jai Gori Shankar.
Did you mean "Gauri"?
Gori, Gauri, same meaning, different spelling.
I thought Gauri was another name for Radha, and meant cowherdess.
not considered new year's for kannadigas, but happy deepavali! yesterday was actually amavyasa, today is padya (celebrating the king's return). anyone probably one level too deep in the details ;)
No no no... never mind.
Yeah...never mind.
I am curious now :( .
'cept I gotta quote the book title:
This book was written by a NZ journalist too...double burn :(
I can think of one thing that's even more hilarious...hmmm...
HAPPY DIWALI all :)
Chand Bibi, Radha is called Gauri too because She is golden complexioned, described like saffron that is ground on a slab of pure gold (imagine how beautiful).
Gopi means cowherdess.
Goranga Mahaprabhu is considered a combined incarnation of both Radha and Krishna (Shyam and Gauri). He is considered shyam (black) on the inside and gaura (golden) on the outside, hence the name Goranga (golden limbed) Mahaprabhu.
For Radha Krishna bhaktas deewali has many hidden rasik meanings that are not known to those not bhaktas of them.
This whole month of Kartika (this year from Oct 8 to Nov 8) is the month of Radha. Vaishnavas are doing Urja Vrat or the vrat (vow) of urja (power, or shakti or Radha) this month. It is also known as niyama seva vrat, because so many niyamas are observed at this time.
All in all, it's a good time of year for spiritual progress.
Gori and gauri are two different words, with two different pronunciations, and two different meanings.
President George W Bush, who was busy campaigning for his besieged Republican Party in Pennsylvania and Virginia , however failed to be there.
Anyone else think it would be amusingly ironic if Bush were campaigning for Sen. Allen during this Diwali season?
Happy diwali, sal mubarak!
Sakshi - just read the whole comment thread. You'll get the hilarity.
I always thought Gauri referred to Parvati and not Radha. ...learn something every day.
Here's a site that gives a meaning for Gauri in terms of color. That generally seems to be the case on the "internets", per Google.
Here's MY favorite Gauri, SRK's wife.
comment: gori and gauri are definitely two different words!!
question: what does pardesi mean?
RE: Holy Cow.
I'm not an oversensitive fundamentalist, and I don't think the cover in inappropriate (hello, we're idol worshippers), however... I did read the back blurb and a few pages of the book in a bookstore once, and I found it a little condescending. I'll be the first to admit I haven't read the whole thing, but still.
Hahaha, here's an awesome theory connecting the English word garish with the goddess Gauri, also based on color.
Amitabh, milli,
Sure, they are two different words as used today and that is clear to all. And I too thought there's no connection until a few minutes ago when I saw PGs' comment. We don't know for a fact that they were unconnected words. What's the point of simply insisting that they are different? Based on what? We don't know something, therefore it is false? Google around and you'll see that both words are certainly about color, although they can still be of different origins.
milli, pardesi means foreign.
You are most probably right that Gori and Gauri are connected. Gauri is a Sanskrit word and possibly Gori is simplified Pali, Hindi word. There are quite few such simplifications.
Quick Sanskrit info.
Gura Varna means fair complexion.
I have never come across gaura / gauri in connection w/ golden.
Suvarna, hema and kanchan are more commonly used Sanskrit words for gold/en.
Sorry, got it wrong - Gauri is the name of Parvati not Radha, according to two web sources I found.
He is - I should have made that clearer:
Holy $$$$! I just saw that the first link in #76 is from the website of the ashram of Swami Premananda, who's serving a double life sentence for rape now. His case got a lot of attention in the early 90's. Not that it makes the info false since other sources seem to have similar meanings - brilliant/gloriously colored/yellow etc.
Apparently not clear to all:
"Gori, Gauri, same meaning, different spelling." -- post 65
Kurma avatar, I'm not saying they're unrelated words, in terms of their origin or literal meaning. But I think you answer your own question when you say that they are used differently today. The context that words are used in is important, it's what gives them their meaning in that moment. I would not equate Gori with Gauri in this day and age, particularly since one is slang (often used in a derogatory way) and the other, a name for a goddess (perhaps a garish one!)
Gori with Gauri in this day and age, particularly since one is slang (often used in a derogatory way)
Not at all, there is a glacier in Himalayas (Nanda Devi), that is known Gori Ganga. There is also a river in India known as Gori River.
Can be used as a slang, but it really is not.
Happy Diwali to all!
Re: Holy Cow
Read it. Like it. It no Booker Prize book, but it's a fun "Pink Lit" book (pink books immediately get slotted into a different category) and was 'fun' because I read it while traveling in India. Not really a condescending book, just the experience of a white woman who goes through exploring many of the religions of India. She tries to live them all as real as she can - which is far more than I can say for myself. It reads like a blog.
Happy Diwali and Eid Mubarak!
In some prayers Srimati Radharani is greeted with titles that most people generally associate with Parvati, which have gone from titles to names. Gaura certainly means golden, and She is certainly Golden. I don't know anything about Gori, I never heard it before a few years ago---I guess it's Hindi. The gaud/gaur in Goriya/Gaudiya Vaishnvism is a totally different r/d sound, and signifies Bengal, not golden.
It can be dangerously tempting to unkindly swat down *everything* said by someone whose tone and manner one doesn't like--- even though one may end up scraping against things held dear by innocent bystanders. It is also foolish to brag about one's treasures in front of a crowd of strangers one has already made angry. Luckily, we can all listen to milady Anna* and have a nice, harmonious weekend. I hope everyone's weekend was as nice and sweet offline as mine was! Mmmm, kheer.
Safety note for future Diwalis----keep a fire extinguisher and blanket on hand. Also some aloe vera gel. :)
(I got the most delighful email from one of my oldest friends today, who's based in DC now, telling me I should meet Anna. :) I felt so ahead of the curve! :D )
Hey yeah, isn't it some big Eid ending Ramadan now? Eid Mubarak everyone!
milli
Yup, I know. I wouldn't be talking about going to the Gori temple or my homies wanting to date a Gauri :-). But PG was trying to explain her name. Many of us here have a weakness for cleverly chosen handles. So her explanation for that can include some obscure connection from long ago. It doesn't have to be current usage. She knows that everyone here knows that Gori and Gauri are different, but she also knows that not many here would know the connection. So she casually drops this:knowing that the rest of us probably have no clue about the connection. I don't and I was just about to ask when I see that Chand bibi has already stumbled in at #66, providing the perfect excuse for PG to expound on the topic in #72, which is some awesome trivia for us to enjoy. I don't get how people can repeatedly assume ignorance of the facts on PG's part. She's just being a troll there, although not in a bad way. If interested in knowing the connection, we could say "please be a sweetie and explain, PG" :-D and if not, ignore it. I don't see why so many lose their cool here in the context of PG.
Now, don't get my started on PG's #23.
Happy Eid, y'all.
Bush didn't make an official proclamation (which wouldn't make sense anyway as the date of Diwali changes every year), but there was a letter of official greetings sent. Available in English at: http://newdelhi.usembassy.gov/uploads/images/EPnQySyvW50Wa6sOn5yPmg/diwalimessage06.pdf. It is also available in Hindi and Urdu.
Today is another Hindu festival for us, Dawat Puja. It's a day when people of a certain caste (yeah, I know...) which, in ancient India, made its living as scribes and bookeepers, seek God Chitragupta's blessing for the tools of their trade - the pen and ink. In fact, dawat means ink in Hindi. We have modernized the puja by offering our laptops and PDA's as well as our Bics for the pundit to bless. One nice feature of Dawat Puja is that you are not supposed to do any work that involves writing after the puja. My 14-year old is looking forward to that.
Yeah, this is the weirdest (and perhaps my favorite) pooja day in my Hindu life, for lots of reasons - one being that I always had to borrow my friends' writing utensils since all of ours had to be at the altar all day. Obviously, we were not as lucky as your daughter to get excused from school and studying, although I remember back in Bihar, it was actually a school holiday. Here in the states, my mom would wake us up early early in the morning and make us do the pooja before school and send us off still sleepy and frazzled. That stuff you have to write down always bummed me out a little because it makes you reflect on your accomplishments, and as a 3-21 year old, you neither accomplish much, nor do you know how high to shoot for (esp if you're a slacker like me). I always imagined the gods laughing at me if my estimate was too high.
I think we actually did two poojas, one Chitragupta and another one which has something to do with brothers and sisters (that only females do). First, we're supposed to curse our brothers, then, during the pooja, we prick our tounges with thorns for cursing them, and ask God to protect them (no, I'm not getting this confused with Rakhi). In India you can go all out with the poojas, and I remember bricks, long wooden poles, and girls jumping for something.... just really quirky-stunts... stuff you can't recreate as well in the West (I forget exactly what we do because I only remember the watered-down, compromised version my mom carried out in our back yard here). At the end, we make necklaces made from cotton, haldi and sindoor and send them to our brothers/cousins in India. And back in India, the fam used to go all out with the meat eating, which isn't something we did for any other pooja (and not something you would do for a pooja in general).
it is called bhaiya dooj or bhai dooj .This day is also known as Yama Dwiteeya as it is believed that on this day Yama Raj, the God of Death, visited Yami, his sister.Yami, who puts the auspicious mark on his forehead and prays for his well being. So it's held that anyone who receives a tilak from his sister on this day would never be hurled into hell. It is a most touching moment for the family members when even distant brothers reach their sisters to strengthen that holy tie. The sister applies tilak and waves aarati to her brother, and the brother offers loving presents to the sister .
It is very famous in bengal and is celebrated all over north india .
Gauri and Gori, in their different contexts, are spelled the same in Hindi as well as Bengali, the two Indian languages I am most familiar with.
Safed means white in urdu-hindi and sveta means white in sanskrit.
Gori/Gauri means golden.
The most derogatory term I've heard for "white people" in India is "lal bandar", red monkey, coz of the pinkish undertones of our skin which in fact resembles some of the tones of the monkeys there.
Funny, whenever I came to learn the meaning of this term and henceforth whenever someone called that out to me in the streets, I retorted with .... well, you can imagine, I don't want to get banned again, but think of the most obvious comeback having to do with monkeys.
Speaking of Hindu mahotsavas and vrats, what about Karva Chauth? That one always burns my inner feminist.
Saal Mubarak to all the Gujjus on SM :)
40,000 people were estimated to have attended the Diwali celebrations in Leicester (United Kingdom) this year, at what was apparently the largest gathering for Diwali outside India. Main BBC article here.
Supplementary BBC News article with 22 photos of this year's celebrations in Leicester.
Hmm. I wished someone brown, Happy Diwali this weekend and she politely responded by saying she is a Christian. I thought it was similar in tone to what Anna wrote in her comments about Diwali not being her new year. When someone wishes me Merry Christmas, I never recall myself saying "oh, I am a Hindu but thank you." I just wish Merry Christmas back. I just thought it is odd.
I must note that when i send holiday cards, i send "Merry Christmas" greetings to all my christian friends - of whatever color and send "Happy Holidays" greetings to other friends and family globally. I find the the United Nations "Season Greetings" card with world art covers work out the best for the Holiday season. That way you don't wish someone what they don't celebrate.
I don't- If someone says "Merry Christmas" I will say "I don't celebrate Christmas, I'm Muslim- thanks." Goes into a huge conversation, religous tolerance, awareness, etc... But, if they season's greetings, then I will say that back. It's a little thing, I know- But it's the little things that help us cling to our cultural and religious identity.
I don't care if a criminal and child murderer like Bush comes anywhere near a Diwali celebration. The fact that he stands with racist Allen's failing campaign says it all.
Just with layman's observation, I would say Indians (mostly Hindus from India) are lot more relaxed about celebrating "other faith" celebrations than followers of other religions/faiths in America or elsewhere in the world.
In India, it is not uncommon to find a Christmas party (in metros) where 100% of the people are mostly Hindus and some muslims including the host. You find people of various faiths intermingling at each other's celebrations. So saying Merry Christmas or Eid Mubarak comes very easy. Maybe here in the US we are so caught up in our "identity" issues that even these simple things in life become tasks to be analyzed and thought over.
(And if pardesi gori is for real, i think she is cool)
miss newbie: i agree with you... i wish them a merry xmas back... heck i was born near xmas time and they delivered me to my mom for the first time in a xmas stocking.. and i still have the stocking and used it as a child growing up..we had the tree, gifts, and i mail out seasons greeting/xmas cards every year.. it's a festive, cheery season, that i adore...i've been to xmas mass with a friend.. although i'm hindu.. i have learned a lot by learning from others who believe different things..
taz:
i believe that wishing people a happy rosh hashanah, eid, diwali, kwanza, whatever is fantastic, even though you may not share the same culture... i've had xmas dinner at a christian friends home to going to a konkyokyo ceremony with the japanese... i don't think it helps you cling to your identity it any better if you say 'merry xmas' back.. yes, if they ask you do you celebrate it, you can say 'no'.. but if you're comfortable in what you believe in , your culture....it will never take away from you or your identity... we live in a multiracial, ethnic, cultural melee..the united colors of benetton experience happening in real time and in real life..
Well said Madame Garbanzo.
We celebrated Christmas in my school in Gujarat. Since we weren't a catholic school, we didn't get Christmas break (we had 3 weeks for Diwali), but all religious holidays were observed. Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, Jain, etc. Probably one of the reasons why summer breaks were barely over a month long, so many holidays during the academic year.
As a matter of fact, we were encouraged to bring miniature chirstmas trees to class as a part of the celebration. I took apart a branch from a hedge once, trimmed it and put bling on it.
Personally, I think it's a bit rude if someone comes up and wishes you with positive intentions in their heart, to not wish them back. If someone says "Merry Christmas", you can always respond with a broad smile responding "And a happy holidays to you, too", if one is uncomfortable with the religious element. Cultural identity is interesting, considering that there is subcontinental Christians (and history).
I think you might have misunderstood Anna's comment, newbie, she's been very warm at accepting Diwali greetings---she was just explaining she *can* accept them, despite it not being her holiday. But I would try to respect it if she didn't want to. As one friend says, "It stops being a gift if there's a strong obligation to use it." Same for cheers and good wishes.
Floridian, I totally just found out about the Dawat Puja a few months ago and got crazy excited----it sounds incredibly cool and perfect for, you know, a *journalist*, but too much to celebrate. Can't do it all. :D
Sigh. Thanks, Saheli-kutty, for getting my six.
Newbie: A N N A's "away" message on GChat is (and has been, for the last three days) "Shubh Deepa-vali", so she is definitely being misunderstood. It's sad that I have to declare it, but I'm not this evil person who'd shoot someone down when they were kind enough to wish me something sweet. Similarly, I understand and am very protective of sentiments like those Taz offered. Neither she nor I are trying to be hurtful.
NB: That hyphen is there on purpose btw, in honor of a very precious friend who is missed and who had to argue her first motion with less than a day's notice. Or something. My goodness all that legal shtuff sounds hot. ;)
awwwww - aren't you the sweet? Incidentally, that's *my* GCHat message too :)
mastervk:
Yeah that's it! Thanks, mastervk :)
Kurma:
Pretentious upper caste people? Heh :) There could be lots of reasons, actually...
I am, but they're not. Still, none of them would never dream of being anywhere near meat on any other pooja day.
Right, it's another way of saying "I exist too, and I'm not like you, so please don't assume that I am, and, from the bottom of my heart, have a happy [x celebration]." I don't usually do this if it's a quick greeting, but if someone takes the time to really wish me a happy something-I-don't-celebrate, I'll take the time to tell them why I don't celebrate it.
P.S. Speaking of cultural assumptions...
:-O That one caught me off guard. Then I remembered that Anna doesn't speak Hindi :)
Indeed, I do not. :) To me, that's a Malayalam term of endearment, for very special girls. Although when my Father used it, he used the masculine form since I was the son he never wanted and never had, i.e. "Chakkara Kuttan".
In my relentless quest to shove Malayalam right there next to Hindi as a possible lingua franca of the Sepia diaspora, I forgot "kutty" has a different meaning up North. ;)
What does Kutty mean in hindi anyway ? Oh I'm sorry.. I just googled ("current site") --- anyway that's Kutthi/Kuttha (atleast the way I transliterate) so no worries about embarassment.
Means "dog".
For a second I considered maybe Anna was trying to be G about it. Like, "Yo whas crackin' Saheli-dog?" Somehow it just didn't fly :)
Yes, I realized that's what you meant at the end of my comment but then I'd transliterate it something like "Kuththi". And that discussion's been had before.
Anna: My post was not supposed to specific to you even though i used your comment to make my point. I should have explained that. I understand that in the US, the issue of identity is a sensitive one.
I have a friend who makes it a point not to put up Christmas tree in his house so that his kids can differentiate between their faith festivals and other festivals that they don't celebrate. However they do wish their neighbors Merry Christmas. There is difference between greeting and celebrating. But I do know other families who feel compelled to celebrate Christmas because all their neighbors do and they don't want the kids to feel left out. In american context, its hard to figure out who is more correct.
Anyway I don't want to beat this to death. And its Mr. Newbie and not Miss Newbie unless there is a lady on this board with the same moniker. I will change mine if that is the case.
oops.. sorry mr. newbie
More specifically, a female dog.
I wouldn't have appreciated Anna& Taz's sentiment while in India. But being in america, I have come to see that they have a point. I might take the same approach someday. You really have to experience life as both majority & minority to see where they are coming from.
I doubt. Right wing nut jobs make the same argument abt american and christians. I think it has more to do with whether you are a majority/minority or how much your culture is under threat. I had a Hindu friend who was born in Baghdad and grew up in both Iraq & Sudan and came over to India when he was ~16yrs. He claimed they were the nicest and most accomadating people on earth. People always made sure there is something veggie for them. Needless to say, I had hard time believing him.Isn't the 't' in 'kutty' pronounced as 't' in temple, rather than 'th' in kutthi ?
This is true to a large extent.
Xmas trees with ornaments and lights in hindu homes in metro India can be