Soumi Goswami
It is soon to be the year 1428 in the Bengali Calendar. Pohela Boishakh is arriving. And Bengalis can’t keep calm when it is any occasion or celebration around the corner. Not in Bengal, but Pohela Boishakh is a grand celebration in all Bengali homes across the world.
Probashi Bengali community and all the people of Bengal welcome Pohela BoiShakh with fun, frolic, food, music, dance, and culture. We deck up in new clothes, we greet our near and dear ones, enjoy delicious food, dance to Gitabitan songs, and recite poetry, in honor of the new year.
Bengalis are social animals. They love to have fun with friends and family and haul the streets of Kolkata singing songs of joy and delight. Savor food at eateries and roadside shops, and “Mishti Mukh” is a tradition on this special day.
Everything about 2021 is two times the year 2020. The sickness that is plaguing the world has not come to an end. Many parts of India are already in the second wave of the COVID pandemic. In the wake of the hour when precaution is the only key, Kolkatans also must be cautious. But this doesn’t bring the spirit of Kolkata down. How? Because be it food or lifestyle, Bengalis know how to make the best out of the worst.
Let’s protect each other this Pohela Boishakh, by staying at home. By greeting our dear ones virtually. Having online parties, dance, and singing events. Will we all deck up in new dresses to heart’s content? Why not prepare and enjoy delicious delicacies at home? Bengal is all set to welcome the Bengali new year. Let’s not spread sickness but joy by staying at home.
“In the face of adversity, we have a choice. We can be bitter, or we can be better. Those words are my North Star.” – Caryn Sullivan
