Dashain or Bijaya Dashami is the biggest festival in the Nepali community celebrated with equal joy by people of all faiths and religions. Dashain is the longest festival on the Nepali calendar celebrated for 15 days during autumn every year. For Hindu people, Dashain is a celebration of the victory of good over evil. According to Hindu mythology, Dashain marks the great victory of gods over wicked demons. But dashain is more than a religious festival for Nepali people, it is a celebration of family, friendship, community and love. Dashain is that time of the year when people forget all their sorrows, hatred, worries, and come together to have a stress free and joyful time. People from different ethnic groups celebrate dashain in their unique way but the merrymaking stays the same!
This year, dashain is sure to be a little different because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The infected rate and death toll are on the rise and health experts are already warning us to be extra careful during the festive time. But the public is still wondering how this great festival can be celebrated by following the basic protocols of social distancing?
Though shifting from the quintessential dashain spirit might seem unusual to us, we should first accept the fact that cultures change according to the need of time. For example, legends say that dashain initially used to be celebrated every summer but was shifted to autumn later because of drought. So this year, we can make few changes to our regular dashain routine and prioritize our health over the fun.
The essence of any celebration is getting together with people and dashain is no exception. People visit all their relatives, especially the senior ones of the family to put holy tika and receive blessings. Dashain is associated with many games such as traditional bamboo swings, Ferris wheels, and card games! In many parts of the country, carnivals are hosted with fun rides and games. This year, it might not be a good idea to visit people’s homes or invite people over, especially if there are people with a higher risk in your family. Instead of that, you can host online parties! You can watch movies together, play online multiplayer games or just have conversations with good food and drinks on the side.
It’s never a wrong time to learn and to make your day productive by skilling yourself. Online learning can be a good option for you to do so. Dashain vacation and lockdown can be a perfect time for you to learn that thing that you have been wanting to but never have enough time to. Adding with this, the combination of the internet and online platform for learning provides an opportunity to gain new skills. There are endless resources and tutorials online that can guide you to master that skill. Glocal After School is providing 25% off on all recorded courses till October. You can learn from the comfort of your home, at your own pace and make your dashain even more fruitful.
So this year, limit dashain within your immediate family and find creative ways to have fun while caring about the health of yourself and the people around you. Happy Dashain!