Staying within the fringes of mainstream cultures Aidha Cader has inculcated an appreciation for Food, History, Travel and Art beyond her comfort zone.
I don’t know about the rest of you, but I most certainly feel a sense of void coming in April. With the ICC One-Day World Cup tournament done and dusted, an anti-climatic feeling sets in. It was an unforgettable tournament where four South Asian teams made it to the quarter finals. For the Bangladesh cricket team, it was a great time for celebration when they won against England, beating them at their own game and knocking them out in the first round. The century scored by Mohammad Mamudullah made him the first Bangladeshi to score a century at the World Cup resulting in a roar of celebrations echoing all over the country. However, before we could taste the thrill of victory, we experienced an unfortunate defeat at the end. For me, Srilankan cricketer Kumar Sangakkara’s spectacular performance was the best part of the entire cricketing season. He became the first player to score four consecutive one-day centuries at a world cup. His retirement from one-day cricket was heart breaking and emotional for many fans around the world. I guess all good things must come to an end. Despite the losses on the cricket field, other forms of celebrations are right around the corner.
Yes, we have Pohela Boishakh and Easter coming up soon. This will bring many of us back into the celebratory mood. Countries within close proximity to Bangladesh also celebrate the New Year in April, such as Sri Lanka, Nepal, certain states in India, Thailand and Burma. Be it the New Year or harvest festival, nations across the world take the time to rejoice in these.
The spring equinox culminates the tradition of harvesting. Many of today’s festivals,such as Easter or Boishakh are rooted in pagan ritual and pre dates any monotheistic religious traditions.
Contrary to popular belief, these festivals pay tribute to the spring equinox and the dawn of the harvesting season.
The Festival of Isis was held in ancient Egypt as a celebration of spring and rebirth. Isis features prominently in the story of the resurrection of her lover, Osiris. Sound familiar to other resurrection stories? In Iran, the festival of No Ruz begins shortly before the spring equinox. The word No Ruz means “new day,” a time of hope and rebirth based on Zoroastrianism. In Ireland, St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated each year on the dawn of the spring equinox. It is believed that St. Patrick, by means of a miracle, drove the snakes out of Ireland. What many people don’t know is that the serpent was actually a metaphor for the early pagan faiths in Ireland. For the ancient Romans, the Feast of Cybele, the mother goddess was at the central pagan festival that commemorated the resurrection of her grandson Attis. One of Judaism’s biggest festivals known as the Passover takes place in the middle of the Hebrew month of Nisan, which is between March and April. The festival commemorates the exodus of the Jews from Egypt after centuries of slavery. In Russia, Maslenitsa is observed as a time of the return of light and warmth. This folk festival is celebrated before the start of lent. A straw effigy of the Lady of Maslenitsais is burned in a bonfire and pancakes are tossed in as well. When the fire burns out, the ashes are spread in the fields to fertilise the year’s crops. As we are globalising, we are becoming more familiar with global celebrations. Unconsciously, we seek common links between other ethnicities and nationalities to unite us in celebrating such auspicious occasions. For those of us who do not want to roll in with the festivities of April, there is good news for you too! Game of Thrones season five will premiere on April 12.
During the course of the month I also had the honour to meet celebrity chef Nahid Osman who cooked an amazing spread for Boishakh, some of which are featured in Cover Focus. Her dynamic personality and warmth was refreshing. As an artist, her greatest pleasure is when she is able to inspire others and foster new entrepreneurs. She further elaborated that her use of special horseradish spice from Khulna named ‘ChuwiChuwal’ became so popular that it inspired a restaurant to name it after the spice. I have come across many artists, designers and stylists who are uncomfortable about their work going mainstream as there is a risk of infringement of their copyrights. However, it’s time that they let go of these inhibitions and embrace this change. They have the power to influence trends and when their ideas are adopted and made popular it should be viewed in a positive light, just as Nahid Osman has done.
Back in Time
Legend has it that the origin of Pohela Boishakh predates Mughal India and is rooted in the Hindu philosophical concept of the four elements of nature. During the reign of Mughal emperor Akbar this was reinstated as the start of the accounting year for the collection of tax revenues to coincide with harvesting. Thus, it provided greater revenue for national treasury. The vendors would open a Haalkhata, a new accounting book with a red cover bringing the popular culture of red and white clothing worn during this day. After independence, Boishakh was further invigorated as a secular festival that created unity and harmony among diverse religious and ethnic groups.
Boishakh Treat
My meeting with Nahid Osman helped me understand Boishakh food culture. Despite the general consensus, the celebratory meal for Boishakh is not panta. The day old rice that is soaked in water
mixed with mustard oil, onions and fried chilli is a tradition that farmers follow as a breakfast meal. The soaking in water prevents the rice from going stale during the hot summer months. Boishakh is a time of celebration and be it the rural or urban, vendors or farmers, it is a season of prosperity. “During my travels across Bangladesh I have seen various ethnicities celebrating and enjoying Boishakh or shanthachorithi,” she added. Fried hilsha and an array of bhorta are celebratory delicacies. Sometimes other items are included such as dried fish, pickles, jackfruit curry, deep fried okra, potato with poppy seeds, chotpoti, lentil soup and green chilli dish. Add to that, they also have a drink made from blended green mango with green chilies, sugar and salt. Desserts include rice-based dishes such as payesh, shondesh made from cottage cheese and mishti doi. Seasonal fruits and vegetables like raw mango and gourd are used in the various food preparations making the most of this lush harvest season. Sweets are symbolic and are regarded as a good omen for the New Year.