Traditionally Speaking...

Traditions are something that we all have but half the time we do not stop and answer the question of why. In recent years I have been thinking critically on things that I spend my time and energy on. There are many traditions that we have that are no longer relevant to this day and age. They used to work once upon a time, but as times have changed so have we. Traditions cannot be eliminated, but they need to be changed so that they can better fit into our current lifestyle. There was a time in human history when human sacrifice was considered the norm and was widely accepted. However, if someone tried to kill another in the name of any creator today, we would all take issue with it and without understanding what is going on we would react.

Karva Chauth, is a practice that takes place in the Hindu tradition. The basics of this festival is that the wife fasts for the longevity and safety of her husband from sunrise to moonrise until she sees the full moon. Many unmarried women also partake in Karva Chauth for their future husbands. The festival hasn’t been pinpointed back to a specific date, but it has played a role in the Hindu Epics. The festival was originally a way for the wives of men away at war to return home safely as well as to ensure a great harvest for the upcoming year. Traditionally, the men would go off to war every summer and return home to farm their land. This was a huge part of their life and was how they survived. During the time this was widely practiced it made sense, the wives were doing their role to make sure everything went smoothly. Today, men do not got off to war in the summer and not everyone is a farmer. This festival also sends the wrong message to young women. Women need the men to go off to war and fight for their protection and they wish for their safe return so that they harvest the crop. The woman’s role in all of this is to simply pray that the man can do it all while she fasts and prays.

A few years back someone close to me wanted to celebrate this festival, and I could not understand what appeal this holiday had. I never tried to stop her or convince her to not participate, I simply asked, “why do you like celebrating it?” Her answer was, “I don’t know.” I guess she just never thought about it. Today Bollywood has highly romanticized it, there are many movies where they showcase a wife fasting for her husband and it’s done in a glamorous fashion. As my friend and I were talking, she asked me if I wanted to celebrate with her, the feminist inside me woke up … IF I AM GONNA TO STARVE MYSELF FA’ A MAN, HE BETTA DO THE SAME FA’ ME! Not only that, but what function did it serve? The festival is not going to change the amount of love between a man and a woman or the longevity and safety of another. And to top that off there is no relationship between fasting and the next year’s crop… last I checked.

The next holiday is one where people walk around the neighborhood after dark, dressed in weird garb and extreme makeup. They then knock on people’s doors to ask for a trick or a treat. Yes, Halloween! The origins of this holiday goes back to a Celtic festival, where they were celebrating the new year. The summer just ended and it was the beginning of a new harvest. They also believed that this was the time the ghosts returned to earth to cause trouble and harm their crops. They would celebrate by burning some crops, however, the festival was re-purposed once the Romans gained control over the area. So…. Why in the world do we celebrate by masquerading and asking for candy from complete strangers? Is it just clever marketing by candy companies? Any-who… Halloween is just an excuse to have a good time. In this day and age that is much needed!

There is one Indian Holiday that I have been celebrating for as long as I can remember. Rakari is a holiday which celebrates the love between a brother and sister. I have always prided myself on this holiday because it shows that there are more types of love than romantic love and that it too should be celebrated. However, in recent years I have been questioning this holiday, not because anything my brother did, but because this is another sexist holiday. As a sister I am to pray for my brother’s protection and prosperity, then I am to tie an amulet on his wrist to symbolize that protection. In return my brother is to give me a gift, and protect me as well. This tradition shows young girls that they do not have the power to physically protect themselves and that they need to have a man (or brother) to do it for them. Us girls are only good for wishing for things to happen and not capable of doing it ourselves. As an adult, I still participate in this holiday, but I have realized that the love between siblings should be equal. If I am praying for my brother’s protection and prosperity, he should do the same. If my brother is to give me a gift, I am going to give him a gift of equal value! The love between siblings is a beautiful thing and it feels great to be apart of a culture that celebrates it. We are living in times where equality is what we are fighting for, and we have to be the change we wish to see. As the next generation grows, it is up to us to change the standard.

Remember human sacrifice? Well, you will also recall that no one does this any more! My point with this is, that the tradition is GONE. Just because these traditions made sense once upon a time doesn’t mean we need to still practice them. Offering a human to the gods may have worked for a while, but ideologies changed and it was no longer accepted. When we feel that something we have done all our lives suddenly doesn’t make sense to us anymore, we owe it to ourselves to figure out why that is. We owe it to ourselves to question our beliefs and challenge the status quo. Be critical thinkers, and do not let your time be spent on things that do not make sense. Thinking critically about something is not disrespectful to the tradition, it's a sign that your ideology is shifting. There are countless more holidays and traditions we have that I did not mention no longer make sense, but those are up to you to uncover and redefine. Do not be afraid to stop and question something. Have conversations with your peers and see how others feel, you may start you own movement!