The festival of lights is an occasion which gives the people of India the excuse not only to celebrate it at their heart’s content, but also an occasion of brotherhood and togetherness. It has been celebrated in the country for thousands of years and though most people prefer the traditional way of celebrating, many innovative methods devised by e-commerce and internet have given way to modern ways of celebrating the occasion.
Apart from bursting the typical firework or cracker, lighting up homes with designer candles, deep and diyas, and performing prayers with the typical Diwali pooja thali, people have developed a habit of exchanging as many gifts as possible to relatives in different parts of India and the world alike. Unless gifts are exchanged among people, the occasion is considered to be incomplete. The most common is the distribution of all kinds of sweets, from kaju barfi to gulab jamun, from Cadbury chocolates to dry fruits and diwali gift baskets and Diwali gift hampers. Sweets are of course, a very important part of the Indian culture especially for this festival. Like they say, no festival can be complete unless the taste of something pleasant lingers in your mouth till long. Apart from traditional food items, Diwali cards are something which have been common since ages and continue to be. Flowers and cakes, though less common than other items, still continue to be in demand. People look forward most to shopping in the months of October to prepare themselves for the occasion.
With the advent of modern technology and pressure from workplace, online shopping has become quite commonplace for festivals like these. For many people who don’t bother to visit their loved ones’ home because of lack of time, sending an e-card through the internet is fairly simple. With the urgency of many dot com websites, it is very easy to do online purchase and sending gifts not only in India but also abroad to places like USA, Canada, UK and Australia. There are many websites which deal with varied stuff like handbags, kurtas, Lord Ganesha idols, watches, jewellery, and decorative items like lamps and so on.
Gifts exchanged during the festivals are of course a necessity considering the habits and hospitality the Indian culture is imbibed with. But unless they are complemented with genuine feelings, the items won’t make much of a difference. Deepawali, at the end of the way, is a festival of love, more than anything else.