Festivals times are marked by enjoyment yet get  rather hectic almost gruelling. Apart from connecting with family and people who matter it is also a time for introspection, rejuvenation and making new beginnings… My parents also thought of something new this time instead of mechanically exchanging gifts with people , my dad wrote a beautiful poem and we sent it to few people accompanied by a bouquet… It seems people would rather receive conventional gifts like crockery, dry fruits or even sweets..since this gesture of theirs did not get a very warm welcome.. I think festivals are no longer associated with connecting and are rather marked by materialism and mindless shopping sprees.  We love to fill in the void in our lives by shopping for things we don’t need but we wouldn’t have time to appreciate subtle sensitive gestures.. Just a comment on our times… I sometimes wish I’d been born a couple of decades earlier…