I have witnessed a few debates about globalization: the pro’s and con’s. One of the biggest issues people seem to have with it is the eradication of tradition that follows globalization. While the opposite of globalization is not tradition; it seems to be constantly be identified as so.
I consider myself to be fairly globally minded, but I also have a quiet reverence towards tradition. It’s not something most people would expect from me, but there are things in the household that must be done a certain way, or things that need to be done during a certain time of year. It’s tradition – (within reason).
Every Diwali/Deepavali (the Hindu festival equivalent to that of Eid or Christmas or Chinese New Year) , there are certain things that need to be done: clean the altar and pictures of family members who have since passed, clean the house, put up oil lamps on the eve of Diwali and on the day, have dinner with the family, perform an oil head bath on Diwali morning, wear new clothes on the day, and, ask and receive blessing from parents. We also usually do a simple prayer in the morning, followed by lunch on banana leaves (it actually enhances the flavor, and is said to have medicinal properties).
There are reasons for doing some of these traditions- for example, an oil head bath removes heat from the body, and some are just traditions that have religious roots – cleaning and performing a simple prayer for those who have passed as a sign of remembrance and respect.
And despite the fact that Indians tend to be the butt of all jokes (see: Russell Peters, Indian Accents), I do think that being raised in Malaysia, with its immersion of Malay and Chinese cultures and my own, has allowed me a great understanding of diversity at a very young age. And for that, I am proud of my heritage and traditions, even if I don’t generally like to broadcast to the world – to me, these things, just like religion, are personal. The joy they bring from their existence is a pleasure meant to be enjoyed on a spiritual level, only to be shared when asked or needed.
And with that very wordy take on traditions, I would like to tack on a very warm wish of Diwali greetings to all celebrating, for it is a time that is meant to be remembered of when good triumphed evil. The world today is battling many evils, the largest of all being human apathy and indifferences, and I hope it will triumph once again.
Happy Diwali, 2012.
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