Festivals can be demanding and Tihar is one that puts extra pressure on us to clean, host, and participate in rituals. There is a lot to do and sometimes not enough hands to get it all done. This is probably one reason why Tihar celebrations begin much before the actual event. Families have time to host guests and then move on to the heavier stuff of cleaning and pujas if they start celebrating a week or even two in advance. But does that mean the week-long festivities have to be a whirlwind of chores? It can be a fun affair with family, friends, and your community if you are up to trying something different this year. We can assure you that it will take the tension off Tihar.
Host a community lunch/dinner
In the week leading up to Tihar, which is this very week, try to get your neighbors and community together by suggesting a pot luck lunch or dinner to usher in the festivities. It will be a great way to kickstart a wonderful few days of celebrations and you will also put an end to the need to entertain people separately. It’s a great way to come together and bond as well while reducing unnecessary pressure.
Consider shared rangoli and decor
In the same vein as above, how does your community feel about coming together to decorate your neighborhood? Instead of installing individual lights and decor, you could all pitch in to deck up your lane and do so together. It will get the work done faster and make it more fun as well. Sometimes, all you need is for someone to suggest it to make it happen. And it actually feels a lot more festive than individually decorated homes.
Harness the flower power
One of the best things about Tihar is all the flower decorations we tend to do. But it’s also one of the most taxing. Instead of stringing flowers into garlands why not make use of vases and planters? Simply get sayapatri plants from your local nursery and transfer them into small pots and place these by your doorsteps. You can also get bunches of these flowers from different street vendors and display them interestingly in large vases peppered around the house.
Use urns and candlestands
Most of us light diyos or oil lamps during Tihar. This requires a lot of pre planning as well as post use clean up that takes up a lot of time. Use urns to light floating candles and make use of whatever candlestands you have lying around the house to create a visually interesting display of light. These are easy to set up and put away as well. You can also make use of old bottles in place of candlestands. Vases can also be turned upside down to create interesting candle displays.
Make it a family affair
Oftentimes, we tend to break up household chores among family members and go about our separate ways but there’s a lot of fun to be had if we do things as a group. Put on some good music and get cleaning and organizing together as a family. Turn chores into a game. See who can finish something faster and do it better. Have a small prize ready. You will get things done faster and it will not feel like work either. It also helps if you have a cut off time. Fix a time by which you must finish the work or take small tea or game breaks in between.
