What Do You Do When Every Day is a Holiday in India?

How ‘bout light firecrackers, have a sleepover, and then sleep through breakfast? That’s what I did!!!

Last Tuesday (November 1) was a holiday called Deepavali. This is a Hindu holiday, but everyone celebrates it by taking the day off of work and school and lighting sparklers and firecrackers at night. The girls who live at the West Hostel (hostel = dorm) invited me to celebrate with them, and, because their gate shuts and locks at 6:30 and the sparkler and firecracker fun wasn’t to be until 8:30, I just had to sleep over.

Even at 22, I love a good slumber party! We lit firecrackers so the neighborhood couldn’t go to sleep. We lit sparklers and waved them in each other’s faces. We lit a fire and danced around it like we were mad! And then, when the fire went out and we were out of other things to light up, we went inside for a little variety show. Some sang, some danced, and all posed for pictures. And, late into the night, when we were all exhausted from our exertions, we finally went to bed.

The hostel warden (warden = adult resident assistant) woke me early the next morning with the most delicious sweet coffee. Wednesday was, after all, a working day.

But Thursday and Friday we were off again, this time to celebrate a Muslim holiday. Again, we all take advantage of an opportunity to call off school and work. I spent much of these two days resting. I slept through breakfast on purpose, and I stayed in my pajamas as long as I could.

Have you ever noticed how time goes so much faster when you are in pajamas? It’s true! All of a sudden, it was Sunday night, and I was getting ready to begin another week – a full week this time. What a bummer!