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“Nepal’s festivals, with their vibrant colors, melodious music, and heartfelt celebrations, are a reflection of the nation’s rich heritage.”
“In today’s fast-paced world, it’s easy to lose sight of the profound significance that festivals once held in our lives.”
“Our grandparents and great grandparents did many rituals and knew the reason behind the rituals, when it came to our parents’ generation they just carried on the rituals blindly without knowing the importance of conducting those rituals and our generation simply ignored them saying if we don’t know the importance of doing a ritual why do it in the first place.”
Nestled within the breathtaking embrace of Nepal’s Himalayan landscapes and embraced by the warm smiles of its people, lies a treasure trove of age-old traditions and festivals that have adorned this nation for centuries. Nepal, with its diverse cultures, languages, and ethnicities, boasts of rich vibrant festivals and lively traditions that have been celebrated with great fervor and devotion. However, as the world moves forward into the fast paced modern age, there’s a growing concern that the vibrant hues of Nepalese festivals are gradually fading, their meanings diluted, and their essence slipping in between the fingers of the modern generation.
As our nation’s grandest celebrations, such as Dashain and Tihar, draw near, there is a prevailing sense that these festivals have gradually lost their enchantment. We can still vividly recall the anticipation that preceded Dashain, marked by the skies adorned with colorful kites, saturating the air with festivity. In those days, the bleating of goats and sheep was a common chorus resonating from households across the land. But things have evolved, and they have transformed in unexpected ways right before our eyes, all within the span of a single generation.
Lost in the Shuffle of Life
In a world that thrives on the relentless pace of modernity, we find ourselves grappling with the conundrum of time. With the demands of careers, technology, and fast-paced urban living, we often lose sight of the deep-rooted traditions that have defined our cultural heritage for generations. The festivals that once held profound significance now find themselves relegated to the periphery of our lives. What once brought communities together, fostering bonds that transcended generations, now seem like fleeting moments in our ever-busy calendars.
Nepal, a land of many festivals, serves as a poignant microcosm of this global issue. From Dashain, the grandest of them all, to the festival of lights Tihar, the vibrant colors of Holi and the spiritual aura of Buddha Jayanti, Nepal’s festivals have traditionally been a time for reflection, unity, and celebration. But in recent times, as the relentless tide of modernization sweeps over the nation, these festivals are encountering challenges that threaten to diminish their cultural significance.
Lost Traditions and Vanishing Customs
One of the pressing issues facing Nepalese festivals today is the erosion of traditional customs and rituals. With the younger generation growing up in urban environments far removed from the heart of these traditions, they often lack a firsthand understanding of the significance of these festivals. As a result, many customs and rituals are either overlooked or diluted, and the festivals lose the depth of meaning that they once held.
It’s not uncommon to witness a generation growing up without knowing the intricacies of performing traditional puja during Dashain or understanding the symbolism behind lighting oil lamps during Tihar. As we get busier with our modern lives, these festivals risk becoming mere rituals, devoid of the emotional and spiritual depth that once made them so meaningful.
Festivals in the Age of Screens
While technology has brought convenience and connectivity to our lives, it has also ushered in an era where festivals are experienced through screens rather than in person. The advent of smartphones, tablets, and television has given rise to a generation that spends more time immersed in the virtual world than engaging in the real-life festivities. Ask today’s kid if he has flown a kite and he might say yes I have kite flying app in my phone or tablet.
As our modern day lives are getting busier it is just that the size of our homes are getting bigger, we see and feel that our family size is getting smaller and smaller down to nuclear family size. The kids of today’s generation do not get to learn about our traditions and customs quite the way we got to learn them from our daily life experiences of living with extended families. The children, in particular, are growing up with a significant portion of their knowledge about festivals coming from digital sources. They are more likely to watch festivals being celebrated on television or YouTube rather than actively participating in them. The allure of colorful screens often overshadows the allure of the vibrant festivals happening right outside their doors. Not just the children but we all are now more into virtual world than experiencing things in real life. It’s a common sight nowadays to find at least one member, if not more, of every family living abroad, and our festivals are increasingly being celebrated with virtual participation from distant corners of the world. The younger generation, in particular, is being drawn away from our homeland, and Nepal struggles to retain its appeal for them. When you inquire about how the festivals unfolded, you often receive responses tinged with a touch of sadness – “The entire family couldn’t reunite again this year, so it was just an okay kind of celebration.”
Rekindling the Flame
While the challenges facing Nepalese festivals are real and pressing, it’s not all doom and gloom. There is still hope on the horizon, and it lies in our collective commitment to preserving our cultural heritage.
- Bridging the Generational Gap:
It’s essential for the older generation to actively engage with the younger one and transmit the knowledge, stories, and significance of our festivals. Grandparents can play a vital role in sharing their experiences and ensuring that the traditions are passed down. It is their turn to pass the baton to the younger generation. It is very nice to get to see that the new generation kids of the Newari culture are into the traditional musical instruments and into writing Nepal Bhasa too, the culture is sure to die if the language dies, so work that goes into preserving the language is sure to preserve the culture too.
- Education and Awareness:
Schools and educational institutions have a role to play in imparting knowledge about festivals and their importance. Integrating cultural education into the curriculum can help ensure that children grow up with a deeper understanding of their heritage. We are already witnessing some schools organize Indra Jatra and Lakhey dance in the school, some others make their kids plant rice saplings during Asar 15 amongst others.
- Active Participation:
Encouraging children and young adults to actively participate in festivals rather than just observe them can make a significant difference. When they actively engage in rituals and customs, they are more likely to understand and appreciate the festivals’ deeper meanings. Have you noticed lately that our generation failed to do many things that was customary to our culture in that “Our grandparents and great grandparents did many rituals and knew the reason behind the rituals, when it came to our parents’ generation they just carried on the rituals blindly without knowing the importance of conducting those rituals and our generation simply ignored them saying if we don’t know the importance of doing a ritual why do it in the first place.”
In Nepali there is a saying “Biralo bandhera Shraddha garne”, it might have been that at certain point when a certain home had a domestic cat, it was restrained for some time during Shraddha in that it can create a nuisance, but some people took it simply that they saw cats being tied during Shraddha and therefore went looking for cats when they did not have one just to ensure they tied a cat during the ritual. Our generation simply stopped doing similar deeds, while some nuisance may have been avoided, we might also have inadvertently left behind many good customs too.
- Embracing Technology Thoughtfully:
While technology can sometimes distance us from our cultural heritage, it can also be a tool for preservation. Using digital platforms to document and share the essence of festivals can help bridge the gap between tradition and modernity. With the use of modern tools and technology a single person who is resourceful on the customs and traditions can explain the significance of our festivals and this in turn can have an impact on the huge masses.
- Community Involvement:
Festivals are communal affairs, and fostering a sense of community can reignite their charm. Organizing community events, and gatherings can bring people together, reinforcing the importance of these celebrations. We all have noticed different institutions taking an active role in organizing kite flying ceremonies “Changa chet competition”, this is a nice way to bring the community together for preserving the culture, and it would be much better if such programs could also disseminate information on the essence of our festivals and traditions.
The Future of Nepalese Festivals
Nepal’s festivals, with their vibrant colors, melodious music, and heartfelt celebrations, are a reflection of the nation’s rich heritage. While the challenges posed by modernity and technology are real, they need not spell the end of our festivals’ charm. By collectively recognizing the importance of our cultural heritage and actively working to preserve and promote it, we can ensure that the festivals of Nepal continue to shine brightly in the hearts and minds of generations to come.
In the end, the resilience of our festivals lies in our hands. It’s a call to action for all of us to come together, rekindle the flame of our cultural heritage, and ensure that the festivals of Nepal remain as vibrant and meaningful as they have been for centuries. Only then can we truly celebrate the enduring spirit of our traditions and the beauty of our festivals, in all their glory.
