This has been a week of festivities! We just passed Diwali and today is Tikka.
Diwali was my favorite festival growing up. I loved the mood, the hustle-bustle in the markets, the gift giving, the sharing, the diyas and the candles that adorned the houses, the rangoli, visiting relatives. It was all fun except the firecrackers. Daddy would still bring some silent ones for us and we would burn them on the terrace.
Here, it is different but I try to bring a little flavor of it for the boys to experience.
A few days before Diwali, I was talking to kabir about it and said we'll decorate the house for Diwali. His instantaneous response, "So can we bring the ghost out?"
Me: No, it's Diwali, the festival of lights. We'll light candles and decorate that way.
Kabir: Will Santa come?
I knew I had to go up a notch this time.
Since Diwali was on a weekday, it was a bit hectic but I did what I could! The prep started the night before. That day, I got back from work around 4:30 pm and started working on the special dinner that I had planned for us; Chole, Kulche and Halwa!
Later, adorned in Indian clothes, we lit candles and did a prayer. Boys got some cash gifts (just like Sumit and I did growing up) which went into their piggy banks and we enjoyed eating together, the special dinner, Kabir called Diwali food! :)
While driving Kabir to school the next day, he and I talked about why Diwali is celebrated and why it is called the festival of lights?
Kabir, after listening to my short story, asked "Why did Lord Rama go to exile?"
Indian mythology is complex to say the least. Hard to give a good answer with reasoning and logic. Lord Rama just did it out of obedience..hmm, not sure Kabir would get that! :)
Now that Diwali was over, it was time for Tikka, which is celebrated two days after Diwali. Even though it is a festival that celebrates the bond between brothers and sisters, I celebrate it with the boys every year. I miss Sumit terribly and remember our childhood each time. I hope we are together one of the coming years to celebrate it together again.
I was taking to Kabir about Tikka last night and mentioned that I would give him a present but it's a surprise. He couldn't wait to know what it was! While going to bed, he said "Ma, you can tell me the surprise, I won't tell anyone, I'll keep it a secret." :)
I told him, a surprise is a surprise and he'll just have to wait! Poor child had to sleep thinking about it.
This morning, he was all excited! We did a sweet little ceremony and the boys were happy with their presents! :)
Diwali was my favorite festival growing up. I loved the mood, the hustle-bustle in the markets, the gift giving, the sharing, the diyas and the candles that adorned the houses, the rangoli, visiting relatives. It was all fun except the firecrackers. Daddy would still bring some silent ones for us and we would burn them on the terrace.
Here, it is different but I try to bring a little flavor of it for the boys to experience.
A few days before Diwali, I was talking to kabir about it and said we'll decorate the house for Diwali. His instantaneous response, "So can we bring the ghost out?"
Me: No, it's Diwali, the festival of lights. We'll light candles and decorate that way.
Kabir: Will Santa come?
I knew I had to go up a notch this time.
Since Diwali was on a weekday, it was a bit hectic but I did what I could! The prep started the night before. That day, I got back from work around 4:30 pm and started working on the special dinner that I had planned for us; Chole, Kulche and Halwa!
Later, adorned in Indian clothes, we lit candles and did a prayer. Boys got some cash gifts (just like Sumit and I did growing up) which went into their piggy banks and we enjoyed eating together, the special dinner, Kabir called Diwali food! :)
While driving Kabir to school the next day, he and I talked about why Diwali is celebrated and why it is called the festival of lights?
Kabir, after listening to my short story, asked "Why did Lord Rama go to exile?"
Indian mythology is complex to say the least. Hard to give a good answer with reasoning and logic. Lord Rama just did it out of obedience..hmm, not sure Kabir would get that! :)
Now that Diwali was over, it was time for Tikka, which is celebrated two days after Diwali. Even though it is a festival that celebrates the bond between brothers and sisters, I celebrate it with the boys every year. I miss Sumit terribly and remember our childhood each time. I hope we are together one of the coming years to celebrate it together again.
I was taking to Kabir about Tikka last night and mentioned that I would give him a present but it's a surprise. He couldn't wait to know what it was! While going to bed, he said "Ma, you can tell me the surprise, I won't tell anyone, I'll keep it a secret." :)
I told him, a surprise is a surprise and he'll just have to wait! Poor child had to sleep thinking about it.
This morning, he was all excited! We did a sweet little ceremony and the boys were happy with their presents! :)
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