Need A Reason?

In the first week I spent in India, Ramadan started and kept my fairly Muslim-friendly neighborhood awake and smelling like delicious food from sunset to sunrise. Days later, my colleague came to work in a sari and with mehendhi on her hands to announce that Theej (North Indian festival for the coming of monsoon rains) was being celebrated. Just when I put up a Facebook status commenting on how festive India is, consumer-friendly Friendship Day (is this even necessary?) took over every nearby school, college, and teenage hangout. Last weekend was Rakshabandan or “Rakhi” (celebration of the bond between brother and sister) and Independence Day (Indians also celebrate freedom from the British Empire). Next weekend is Janmastami (I don’t even entirely know how to explain that but the celebration of it involves men creating human pyramids by climbing on top of each other to break a pot of butter that is hanging between buildings...) and the weekend following that is Eid. That same last week is Paryushan (the most auspicious week of the year for people of my religion – Jains).

Now, seeing that India is a democratic country that is extremely diverse in religions, cultures, languages, and types of people, that is strongly attached to the separation of church and state, AND whose independence is as recent as three generations ago, this means each major religion deserves equal recognition and each patriotic holiday must be respected. That comes out to THREE LONG WEEKENDS and at least six holidays that I am aware of in the month of August. Who knows how many more have happened?

Basically, there is no shortage of reasons to celebrate in this country.

I did not pick this month to work in India on purpose, I swear.