Well, a year has gone by bringing more irresistible changes. I can feel the difference around. People seem to be blindly imitating others. Their own customs and traditions bore them. Come on! That isn’t what we should be doing. I don’t understand why people don’t get what our culture means to us, they are our identity, our pride.

As I look before me I find our cultures fading day by day. We ourselves don’t seem to be interested in neither our culture nor the festivals that we celebrate. Last week on Christmas I got some sms from my friends and family wishing me a merry Christmas. At first I was glad to receive those text messages but, later realized that they hadn’t wished me a happy Dashain or happy Dipawali, those festivals that are supposed to be the major festivals for us “Hindus”. Moreover, all of my friends are Hindus, and as far as I know no one celebrates Christmas. Honestly, I didn’t like their act so I didn’t reply to any of their messages. It’s not that I’m being racist and trying to tell my fellowmen to follow only Hinduism. I do respect all religions, all cultures and all festivals. But what I’m trying to say is that, if people do believe in all religions why don’t they wish a happy “Idd” or a happy “Dashain” or a happy “Dipawali” or a happy “budhha purnima” or in any other major festivals celebrated worldwide. Why only “CHIRSTMAS”?? Is it so important to all of us that we forget our own customs and traditions? Why all of us are being attracted to the western culture? It is good to respect other cultures, we should even get together and celebrate other festivals but it’s not that we have to give up our own customs.

If this trend doesn’t stop, then in no time we will be left nowhere with every one blindly following the westerners. I never meant that celebrating Christmas is bad. It’s good, it’s great. But the thing I tried to say in this is that; love your culture, follow your traditions, and respect other festivals that you don’t celebrate as well. Don’t just neglect Idd because you’re not an Islam, don’t neglect Christmas if you’re not a Christian, and other religious festivals as well. If you respect Brahma-Vishnu-Maheshwor, do respect Christ, Allah, Buddha and other gods as well. It’s not that one is supposed to follow only their culture; we have the right to celebrate each and every culture but following some culture blindly forgetting our own isn’t good.

Written by:

Ashma Aryal (a.k.a azm)