The months of October and November always make me very nostalgic. It is the festival season for all Indians living in India as well as for those living abroad. My favorite Diwali memory is that of my daughter’s first Diwali in India.

    A couple of years ago, me and my daughter, Neha, were lucky enough to celebrate Diwali at my parent’s place. It was a special event for me as I got to spend my first Diwali after marriage at my parents’ place with an added bonus of my little one. It was a special event for my parents and little sis as they got to spend so much time with our little bundle of Joy. It was a special event for Neha as … well, simply because she loves to be the center of attention.

    In southern India , Diwali usually begins very early in the morning. That is one day when everybody is happy to be up by 4:00a.m. The usual excitement of taking bath, wearing new dresses, and eating those delicious delicacies painfully prepared by mothers is pretty much the standard routine in any south Indian household. And then comes the fun part - that of bursting crackers before daylight sets in.

    My daughter is normally a late-riser. Her day normally begins between 8:30a.m and 9:00a.m. So, it came as quiet a surprise to all of us when she woke up at 5:30a.m., that morning. She loved all the attention that she got from my parents and my sister. She was given a bath, and got to wear a beautiful pattu paavadai (south Indian Lehenga). A typical girl that she is, she loved all the gorgeous necklace, chain, bangles, earrings that she got to wear on that particular day. And it was hilarious to watch her excitement on all the crackers being burst by my dad and my sister. She would look at the sky and then look at me, as if thanking me for providing her with all that excitement.

     Thinking back, the fun of Diwali for me was the excitement of bursting crackers. The beautiful dresses, and the delicious goodies were just the icing on that cake. My sister, dad and I would go cracker shopping at least a week before Diwali. Then we would start placing the crackers in the sun to make them more affective for our grand production on the day of Diwali. The whole event would be more fun if we had some guests over or if we became somebody’s guest on the day of Diwali.The fun part would be followed by a round of phone calls to all our near and dear ones, wishing them a very happy Diwali.

     Life in U.S. is certainly different, especially during such festivals. If Diwali falls on a week day, it is pretty much like any other day. I do make it a point to try some delicious recipes of sweets and snacks, usually borrowed from my mother, mother-in-law or co-sister. The day of Diwali, usually begins with taking bath, and spending half the day in kitchen, trying out new recipes. It is followed by making phone calls to family and friends wishing them a Happy Diwali. We usually time our phone calls to India , so that we can hear the crackers bursting in the background. If we’re lucky and have some friends, it usually means a Diwali potluck or maybe a trip to the temple.

       This Diwali, I’m looking forward to a very important event in my daughter’s life … meeting my daughter’s pre-school teacher in a parent-teacher’s meet and talking about her progress in school.

       This Diwali, I’m looking forward to dress my daughter up in a beautiful dress and watching her excitement as she admires her reflection in the mirror.

       This Diwali, I’m looking forward to call our parents in India , and hear their love and joy when my daughter wishes them, “Happy Diwali Tata/Paati/Chitti”.

       This Diwali, I’m looking forward to make delicious sweets and snacks and distribute it among our friends and family.

     This Diwali, I can’t wait to try out those goodies on my husband and my daughter and watch them gobble up everything in minutes and smack their lips with delight.