4th of July, Memoirs

“The twinkling of gleaming hopes, the mesmerized hearts looks up to toast, for love & peace around.”

 My family & I went to watch beautiful fireworks celebrations on the occasion of 4^th of July.

As everyone was getting comfy & waiting for the clock to chime at 10pm, to start prelude of beautiful hues smeared on skyline. I was wondering, right, writer mind?

“Do celebrations spirits are define by the age factor or it’s just the customary legacy to follow every year”?

My mind started picturing different stages of life that must have seen, generations after generations, these revelries as their proud legacy.

Firecrackers sounds…did u hear it? What it carries meanings for each of them, different in age & experience, yet connected, here, at this very fine moment to cherish this celebrations of Proud legacy, celebration of Patriotism & Hope.

When a baby hears Fireworks sounds, for the first time, the expression of bewilderment mixed with frightened glances, still amazed with the colors, came up in my mind, as I fondly remembered how my elder daughter “M” used to make faces with squeaking sounds, around firecrackers celebrations @ Diwali festival, in India.

When a toddler sees firework, its amazement mostly, like my younger daughter was doing clapping, cheering & singing-

Fireworks go snap, snap, snap!
Crack, crack, and crack! Zap, zap, zap!
Fireworks make me clap, clap, clap
On Independence Day!

 For any grown up kid, its inquisitiveness & admiration. I saw lots of kids just getting awry & seeking attention from their parents. I remember my childhood days when we used to celebrate our Independence Day(15^th August) with Flag hoisting ceremony at school function followed by sweets distribution & than nostalgic memories for Republic Day Celebrations(26th January) whole day glued to TV for watching our ceremonious parade. Nostalgic indeed!

Indians living in America wait eagerly for the August celebrations, from all major cities,India Festival Week to commemorate, the spirit & our heritage for us to rejoice & share our legacy & culture with young generations. Its organized by Federations of Indo-Americans in North California. My elder daughter participated last year in the dance competition at ,California, with her team & danced on famous Patriotic songs from Hindi Movies.

Many teenagers, I glanced up there, were somber & talking among them, it might be like adrenaline rush for them, amidst family time, for a while away from technology waves, if they can.For one of the young couple its seems to be like enjoying their togetherness & celebrating love, of course with no kids running around.For a couple with kids, like us, it’s like handling powerful resonance rockets amidst chaos of other stuff.For one of the elderly couple, comfortably sitting on their chairs & waiting for the exactness of same poignant moment, must be like remembering rejoicing & reminiscing old times, Proud legacy.

A great offshoot of firecrackers celebration around major holidays, festivities like-Independence day & Halloween in USA, Diwali- festival of diyas or lights, in India, Chinese lantern festival around Chinese new year, Bonfire night in UK, Sky fest in Ireland, Bastille day in France & so many others around the world communities, are indeed, subject of fascination & kind of unity among diversity. The Pyrotechnic power show over such major days is indeed worth watching.

Few significant Firecrackers celebrations marked down in World History pages are—

Louis XIV who, with a specially equipped sundial, used firecrackers to tell time at Versailles.

The very first 4th of July celebration was in 1777, only one year after the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

The largest firework display consisted of 479,651 fireworks and was achieved by Dubai Government at Palm Jumeirah Island and The World Islands in Dubai, UAE, on New Year Eve,2013.One of the most prestigious fireworks competitions is the Montreal Fireworks Festival, an annual competition held in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.Another magnificent competition is the Festival d’art pyrotechnique de Cannes^,held in the summer annually at the Bay of Cannes in Côte d’Azur, France. The World Pyro Olympics is an annual competition among the top fireworks companies in the world. It is held in Manila, Philippines.(Source of Reference- Wikipedia).

Diwali, known as “Festival of Lights”, auspicious Indian Hindu Festival has, significance of firecrackers & diyas, as the festival falls on Amavasya night (no moon day) & a mythological story goes that after his victory over Ravana, King Rama was returning back to Ayodhya city, with his wife Sita & brother Laxman to end his 14 years long exile. To welcome his King, people of the city lit thousands of diyas/lights, as told in the ancient Hindu epic called, “Ramayana”. It marks victory of good over Evil & light over darkness.

Sharing effervescence shlok for my readers,the video will explain the significance of the Gayatri Mantra.

So I keep on wondering with these thoughts, poignant memories will remains in our hearts to pass on these spirited hopes & proud legacy of patriotism to our future generations.

Here’s video for you to enjoy from firework celebrations, near Cleveland, Ohio.

http://youtu.be/qu84rcXVMXk

©♥♥®©