In retrospect: Tips
for next year
Lessons from the past
By Samangie Wettimuny
[email protected]
Was this New Year any different from those of the past? Lighting the
hearth and having meals at an auspicious time, so many friends and
relatives visiting your place, a lot of fun and laughter, avurudu games
etc.
Not much of a difference right? We put into practice the rituals and
customs that have come down from generation to generation! But my
‘visiting friend’ was determined not to follow in its forefathers’
footsteps who used to spend their ‘new year’ days ‘in hiding’.
So in the midst of new year gaiety and splendour, amidst the
‘thundering’ noise of fire crackers that were being lit, Tarzan (alias
Hora Gediya, Pol Ba Moona, Yellow Thief and what not?) started on its
daily round as usual.
“The days are gone when cats used to hide in fear of fire crackers”
It might have thought. Anyway the smart Tarzan had no idea of ‘Nonagathaya’.
So for the poor ‘fellow’ the day dragged interminably just like for any
of us who were starving, anticipating the ‘arrival’ of the auspicious
hour!
Since no one threw any eatable at it, Tarzan was a bit worried and
the village ‘robber’ headed its way towards its favourite restaurant,
the only place where it is given a warm welcome in addition to a very
good meal - of course all free of charge!
There Tarzan waited for its favourite waiter (Guess who could that
be!) to come and serve “him” immediately. No one arrived. “Funny
restaurant” Tarzan thought. It is time to self serve. Of course Tarzan
could do that very well with the well cooked fish curry. No sooner it
got down from the table to lie down on the floor- to ‘wash its face’,
its favourite waiter arrived. Tarzan knows how to draw the wool over her
eyes!
As a result ‘the robber’ got a bowl of water too to drink before
departing untouched prior to the arrival of ‘strict’ waiters! In fact
could Tarzan be blamed? No one told “him” that the auspicious time to
have meals was at 8.10 p.m. Also will a robber ever hang around the
place after robbing a house, I mean will they ever think of lying down
and rest there?
Tarzan could be easily pardoned as ‘Nonagathaya’ had only sharpened
its instincts for robbery. Believe it or not, ‘Nonagathaya’ makes many
cats better hunters! Even if it is normally a ‘cool fellow’ who would
even let rats run across their faces ‘while in sleep’, on this day it
acts as if it is not ready to spare even a single squirrel in the
neighbourhood. Being occupied with ‘religious activities’, inhabitants
of course have no time to attend to the needs of their pets, so they
have to look after themselves!
Now it is the time for dogs to hide inside their houses or to run in
search of a safe hideout. An owner of such a ‘security officer’ was
hurrying on a lane looking for his dog who went missing upon the arrival
of nonagathaya while our brave Tarzan could be seen comfortably seated
on top of a wall!
“That silly dog could have taken lessons on bravery from me” must
surely be the thought that ran in his mind while watching the boy on his
way back home with a timid dog tied up in a chain!
Is it a New Year only of cats and dogs? You must be wondering. So
let’s turn to ‘super’ actors. Minutes before the arrival of long awaited
auspicious time to light the hearth, you have no time to spare-to look
around and observe what you pets are doing!
All the eyes and ears are now turned either to radio or television or
to both. Since all are keen to uphold rituals to the letter they are not
ready even to miss a second!
In certain houses there had been a ‘big uproar’ as a particular radio
channel had announced the arrival of the auspicious time to light the
hearth two and half minutes before the TV announcement. What a big
difference? When the child listening to radio said “Amma, Hari, hari”,
another voice came from the TV room “NA, Na, thava wela thiyanawa!”
For another woman the problem was the direction. At her grand house,
the hearth was facing the South and she had to light the hearth also
facing the same direction. What a difficult task! So with great
difficulty she had to walk a few steps backward carrying the new pot
while facing the South and swing her arms back to keep it on the hearth,
of course under the surveillance of her husband! (to make sure she keeps
the pot on the hearth and not somewhere else!)
All the ‘wanted’ and ‘unwanted’ relatives and friends then start
visiting your place and you too have to be a guest in return. You may
not even see some of these faces till next New Year. Anyway the occasion
is a blessing to keep family relationships going! Just like for your pet
dog sometimes you too may have to live ‘in hiding’ for a few hours if
you are determined to evade any of them!
Your friend who does not miss out on even a single sale now tells you
of her latest experience- how she was being cheated at a sale where they
prominently displayed the board “Kokath Labeta”. Well, she belongs to
the category of people who never wants to learn from their mistakes.
In fact she is known for being cheated ‘annually’ prior to every New
Year by salesmen! The word “sale” will yet be a stimulus for her even
for the next new year ! Another complaint is of low quality goods, even
pots and pans.
After keen ‘observation’ you may bring two or three pots home only to
see them breaking into pieces once you place them on the gas cooker! Or
no sooner you leave the market you notice a crack or two on the pot!
There are also people who would spend the whole New year day watching
the television-engrossed in a movie! Also it is mainly TV channels and
FM channels that organise New Year festivals in villages.
In the past the occasion was mainly a get together of villagers to
strengthen social relationships. Visits from Colombo could sometimes be
an intrusion on their serene life pattern. The villagers has to ‘dance
according to the beat’ of those TV and Radio channels. In another sense
villagers become mere spectators in their own villages and every move is
quite artificial.
So many advisors appear on TV just to enlighten you on New Year
rituals and customs, to tell you how the family ties and social
relationships could be developed. Ironically some of those advisors
themselves have a history of maintaining poor social relationships.
In fact in this country there are so many advisors ,but not a single
one to follow them. Problems caused by ‘mushrooming’ ‘culinary experts’
too cannot be overlooked. The trend here is to strictly follow the
instructions of those so called experts.
Even if you are an expert in making ‘Athirasa’, you think the women
who appear on TV are the best. So you fall in to trouble trying to
follow their ‘strict’ instructions and would finally end up with a box
full of Athirasa which are hard as stones!
Though the announcer who backs the ‘culinary expert’ normally says
“Wow, a yummy athirasa”, your visitors are not so decent. “My god, hope
my teeth will be alright after eating this!” is their normal response.
Haven’t you ever enjoyed the “battle of Kavum”-the struggle those
inexperienced “kavum” makers undergo in their desperate attempt to
develop “Konde”. Some can never do it despite their endless struggle! In
the end “the kavum’ looks as flat as a plate! But don’t worry. Before
your guest could ask “where’s the Konde?”, you have to say “Those are
“Kondaless kavum”.
If the host is too smart, she could also explain her point. “Well, in
the process of ‘evolution’, it has lost its ‘konde’ , just like we,
humans lost our tail! Your guest would definitely pardon you since it
tastes so well though without’ konde’!
Anyway the episode of cats is yet not over. As you were busily
explaining to your visitors the ‘evolution of Kavum’, your cat had been
having a gala time on the dining table where you had kept a well-baked
cake just out of the oven! Though still hot, it somehow managed to
nibble it from here and there to make sure that no body else could use
it!
So beware of almost everyone starting from your visiting cat to the
culinary expert if you want to celebrate a truly prosperous, peaceful
and happy new year at least next year!.
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