We are already into the festive season-the Navratras, Dussera, Id and Durga Puja have passed by. As we head into the next month, there will be an array of Diwali sweets at the shops, followed by plum cakes and pastries closer to Christmas. The mall decorations will change from Dandiyas and Diyas to stars and Santa Claus . The clothes we wear will change from blingy desi wear to boots and blazers. The Chinese lights will blink almost continuously till the New Year. It is the season for extravagances. Excess is expected. There is no point spending the auspicious time feeling guilty, restricted and resentful. We need to let go of such negative thoughts and submit to the spirit of the times. If we are to truly celebrate these traditional moments, we should throw ourselves into the festive cauldron and stir up a host of great memories.
The first thing to do is Suspend the Diet. It is no coincidence that the word Diet has Die in it. Sticking to the diet at this time is social suicide and economic murder. Weight watchers need to put away that calorie counter and start relishing the diverse fare on offer. It would be rude to refuse the second helping of kheer at the dinner party and ruder still if you stayed away from the alcohol so critical to lubricate social network. It would be churlish if you did not taste the new kind of burfi that your neighbor has specially made for the occasion and sent to you on a covered plate with two candles. How many mithai boxes can you recycle? It is much better to consume the kaju katlis in house and live up to the traditional Indian values of not wasting food.
Once you’ve decided to expand the waistline, it is time to Expand the Wardrobe. Festive wear is based on the more is more principle- more glitter, more gold, more shine, more shimmer. When I was a child, buying new clothes was the highlight of Deepavali. We looked forward to choosing clothes that were a little better, slightly more fancy than the regular wear. There was a special simple pleasure in the smell of fresh cotton, the anticipation of wearing the new outfit through the day and then bringing it out on special occasions. These days, when one picks up new clothes along with the groceries or a weekend outing to the mall, it is important to make sure that the festive purchases are out of the ordinary. A wonderful new designer sari or zardosi embellished anarkali will not only boost your morale but also boost the profits of artisans, designers, tailors and boutiques. Besides, if you have not managed to shed off the extra kilos piled on during the last festive season, it is possible that the festive apparel from the previous year will no longer fit you, forcing you to become more fashionable and well groomed.
As we try to tighten the drawstrings of the new salwar, we also need to loosen the purse strings. This is not the time to channel our inner Scrooge or scrounge around for cheap bargains. So get ready to Blow up your Savings and succumb to the festive magic. The process begins with the dispersal of the Diwali bonus to the domestic and support staff and continues till D day when the baksheesh is given to the raddi wala, doodhwala, dog walker, flower delivery boy etc. Then there are gifts to be purchased for every far and near friend and relative. The standard diya/candle and mithai dabba is so last century. The gifts are now required to be novel, unique, innovative, and more expensive than the previous year, reflecting your improving socio economic status. Even the most efficient recycler of the gifts has to fork out some cash to keep up her social standing. So visit a Diwali mela with a money belt and come back with a collection of bespoke handcrafted napkin cum cutlery holder made of recycled cardboard and embellished with semi precious sequins. This does not come cheap. If at all there is any money left, the ultimate vanishing act will be performed at the Taash party. Poof! Watch in wonder as the pile of crisp notes you came with dwindles into nothing in seconds at the poker game.
At the end of the year, the true adherent to the festive spirit should have a larger weight and wardrobe and a smaller bank balance. This will show whether you really enjoyed the festive season or not.
