Winters of the Past: A Season of Warmth and Togetherness
Winter now arrives in late November, but there was a time when it used to set in by October, everyone sitting with their cup of chai (the unofficial drink of winter) and late evening bonfires used to get lit up almost around every corner giving warmth to all the grandparents sitting around it and children running around trying to fight the winter chills playing Antakshari. 90s winter has a wave of nostalgia even if I wasn’t even born at that time. Every winter, my mom reminds me how they cherished the season in her childhood, how it was some kind of a special occasion that you needed to prepare for.
Stories by the Bonfire: Winter Through Generations
My grandma used to recount her winter memories to us kids when she used to visit us during our winter holidays. She used to usher all of us in the veranda when the sun was high and up. We used to hover around her when she would tell us about how back in her days winters used to be quite different from what we experienced. Mufflers and monkey caps were the very requirement to get out of the houses for men and children while women used to cover themselves with woolen cardigans and shawls to protect themselves from the frosty chills of the season.
The stories about the sweets they used to make and stock up for the kids made with jaggery and sesame seeds, how kids used to finish them even before the new year arrived. Back then, no winter was complete without gud ladoos and gajar ka halwa—staple treats that every family cherished. Beyond food, winter was also a season of creativity and warmth in other ways. Women would gather in the sun, their hands either busy knitting sweaters or preparing for the famous sarson ka saag and makki ki roti while sharing stories and laughter.
Chai and Conversations: The Simple Joys of Winter
Winter has always been the most awaited wedding season, with celebrations filling neighborhoods and families every now and then. Meanwhile, “Chai” used to be the most preferred hot drink for the season, ladies, men, and even children used to savor the hot drink more times than they would like to admit.
The reminders of what was there in the past bring in so many memories that we constantly strive to achieve in the future, making time for our loved ones despite the packed schedules of our fast-paced lives. It is safe to say that we have pretty much lost the way our earlier generation used to live and enjoy in the moment. They used to be eager to welcome the change, nature would bring to us and embrace it with all they had rather than always running around to aim for the next thing.
This isn’t to say that modern life has taken a wrong turn. It’s simply a reminder that, perhaps, we can borrow a page from the past—setting aside time for loved ones, even amid our fast-paced lives.
