Pahela Falgun, Valentine's Day bring back joy in Dhaka streets
Dhaka has worn a colorful look as festival-loving Bangladeshi people are celebrating the first day of the most anticipated season Basanta (Spring) and globally celebrated Valentine's Day on Monday, all amid the pandemic.
Over the past couple of years, people, particularly in Bangladesh, had become used to celebrating a two-day festivity in February, with the 13th being the day of Pohela Falgun and the 14th as Valentine's Day. However, both the days are being celebrated on 14 February, due to the changes made in the Bengali calendar.
Falgun is the eleventh month in the Bengali calendar and the first month of the season, Spring, the king of all the six seasons that brings back warm sunshine, budding flowers and dancing of birds.
Keeping pace with the rest of the world, Bangladeshis also celebrate Valentine's Day with their beloved ones.
Valentine's Day, also called Saint Valentine's Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine, is an ancient Roman tradition which has been celebrated in European countries for ages.
These days it is widely celebrated in Asia, including Bangladesh, thanks to its fast globalisation. After the dryness of winter, new leaves start coming out again and nature adorns the branches with new colorful flowers such as Shimul, Polash and Marigold.
Falgun brings joys and colours both in nature and life. Everything in nature gives an impression of youthfulness or freshness, as if nature takes a new birth.
The Jatiya Bashanta Utshab Udjapon Parishad organised its traditional 'Bashanta Utshob 1428' on the open stage of Suhrawardy Udyan in the capital through performing chorus, dance and playing colours.
Florists are not happy with the move of Bangla Academy as celebrations of Valentine's Day and Pahela Falgun on the same day are cutting their profits. However, they are hopeful that they will recover their losses on this day.
Clad in red and yellow attires and flowers in hands, hundreds of young boys and girls are thronging Bakultola of Fine Arts Faculty of Dhaka University, the centre of celebration of Bashanta Utshob, to welcome through singing, reciting poems and dance.
The youngsters are also gathering at Teacher-Student Centre (TSC), Arts Faculty, Curzon Hall, University Mall (Mall Chattar) wearing dazzling dresses to express love to each other exchanging flowers and gifts.
There are various arrangements in the capital to welcome the spring. Different socio-cultural organisations will hold various programmes, including music festivals, on the Dhaka University campus throughout the day.
Marking the special Day, various restaurants, almost everywhere in the country, have arranged special offers for the customers.
Also, different gift shops are eyeing to make extra sales with specially discounted prices, offers, and a variety of gift items to make the buyers happy. Flower markets are busy stocking red roses for the day.