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Turning a new leaf in style
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The sobre ones in this genre, in fact, like to use the occasion for a reunion with their old pals.
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THE JOIE de vivre is purely global. Neither the boundaries nor the nautical miles deter people from partaking of this festive spirit. More importantly, the occasion is not scarred by any religion, caste or ethnic distinction.
No points for guessing. Yes, it is that time of the year again when celebrations take a swirl to usher in another new set of 365 days.
The city is under the grip of new year celebrations. There are no set rules followed to mark the occasion. But yes, a distinct style can be seen depending on the age group of revellers.
Old timers appear to be enjoying by just reliving their past, how they celebrated in the good olden days. They simply exchange notes over the phone or share the thoughts with their spouses and friends sitting in parks. Time rolls for them discussing and comparing the celebrations year after year.
The slightly younger generation prefers - or perhaps is forced to remain glued to television sets for the variety new year programmes. Family responsibilities and commitments make them vote for the popular channels airing programmes anchored by celebrities.
But it is the youth who really make a bositerous announcement of the new year. Those in their teens or early 20s love to celebrate in style, they are out on the streets bursting crackers, getting inebriated and rising to the occasion in "full spirits". Their gala celebrations and invasion of streets late in the night has its pitfalls but then nothing can stop them from the moment.The sobre ones in this genre in fact like to use the occasion for a reunion with their old pals. The celebration can be marked by a small get-together and dinner.
The celebrations peak when the clock's hour and the minute hands join to herald the new year. Soon the skies lit up with colourful fireworks and reverberate with `Happy New Year' greetings. Those who preferred to stay indoors and those who were out in the open share this one moment with equal enthusiasm, howsover different their celebrations style may have been.
But one should be warned of the problems too that mark new year celebrations. Women who dare to venture out to watch the extravaganzas at times fall victims to pranksters on the streets. At their own risk, the street revellers even indulge in `wheeling' --riding the bike on one wheel or flashing the headlight beam skywards. This purely-for-fun daredevilry can prove fatal for both the rider and the passers-by, since they ride at a break neck speed.
It is, however, the new morning which turns relatively lull for this clan as the hangover grips them. But not all turn a new leaf in this manner. Those with a literary bent of mind and are mostly members of some association prefer to convene meetings, mock debates or gatherings suiting their taste, with the focus on New Year.
Yet another option is to visit temples and the traditional families dont let go this opportunity to invoke God's blessings while setting afoot on another year.
If these are not enough the day is special for few other reasons too - like making new resolutions, promises of giving up some bad habits. But the fate of such vows become evident within the next few days only.
The New Year eve may appear to have become an occasion of celebration dominated by the youth force but it has some special meaning for everyone. How it is celebrated not really matters.
It is the spirit, the festive mood that counts.
M.R.ARAVINDAN
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Metro Plus
Bangalore
Chennai
Coimbatore
Delhi
Hyderabad
Kochi
Madurai
Thiruvananthapuram
Visakhapatnam
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