Festival import-export: Happy happenings

The give and take of customs between cultures has been happening ever since wandering Neanderthals exchanged music and funerary traditions. India, in particular, has always embraced all traditions and festivities as just more reasons to make merry. From Christmas to Valentine’s Day, the long list is still expanding. So, it is not surprising that social media and other communication platforms are awash with Indians — not just Pravasi Bharatiyas any more — posing in scary masks as Halloween becomes the latest entrant into the celebration circuit. Ghouls are very much part of the subcontinental consciousness, so Halloween is a shoo-in for Indians. It may not be very long before Indians decide to adopt that very North American celebration called Thanksgiving too, given that it is all about harvests, family and food.

The counter adoption of Diwali across the world, however, is probably less expected. With British PM Theresa May sending out greetings on the occasion, US President Barack Obama lighting a lamp with his Indian-origin staffers in the Oval Office and even the UN building in New York emblazoned with a diya and ‘Happy Diwali’, it seems India’s festival exports are on a roll this year. Holi already has a growing market; Raksha Bandhan and Bhai Dooj could be next. Marketers abroad may prefer Dhanteras, though.