Celebration

Onam is the national festival of Kerala, India, symbolizing joy, prosperity, and cultural richness. Onam usually falls in the month of Chingam (August-September) on the Malayalam calendar and lasts for ten days, with the most important day being Thiruvonam. The festival is associated with the legend of King Mahabali, whose rule is believed to be a golden day in Kerala. It is said that the spirit of Mahabali visits Kerala during Onam to see his people living happily.

During Onam, homes are decorated with Pookalam, vibrant floral designs on the floor, and families gather to enjoy the Onam Sadhya, a traditional vegetarian feast served on banana leaves. The festival also features thrilling Vallamkali (boat races), lively Pulikali (tiger dance), and graceful Thiruvathira dances performed by women. Onam is a time when Keralites across the world come together to celebrate their rich heritage, values of unity and harmony.

When I moved to Canada, I began to miss the vibrant Onam Celebrations. My childhood is filled with wonderful memories of this ten-day festival. During Onam school would close for the holidays, but before that, we celebrated Onam at school. We dressed in traditional Kerala attire. Each class participated in a Pookalam competition, where we created beautiful flower designs. We also had fun events like tug-of-war and musical chairs. It was always so much fun!

Once school closed my cousins would come to my house and we would wake up early in the morning to collect flowers in different colors for our Pookalam. One of the most important flowers for Onam is Thumba (Leucas aspera), which I feel has become rarer nowadays. We even went into nearby forests to find flowers, making the experience even more exciting. Every day, we added a new color or type of flower to the Pookalam, starting with just one on the first day and building up until Uthradam and Thiruvonam, the main days of the festival.

On Uthradam and Thiruvonam, we would visit temples to pray and then visit our cousins to celebrate together. The main highlight was the grand Onam Sadhya, a delicious feast served on banana leaves, along with our favourite payasam. We would also get new clothes, which was something I always looked forward to.

When Thiruvonam ended, I felt a bit sad knowing the celebrations were over, and I’d already started counting the days until the next Onam. Those days, filled with family, food, flowers, and fun, are some of my golden childhood memories. Now that I live in Canada, I often feel that my kids are missing out on these vibrant celebrations and experiences. But I always try to create good memories for my kids by making Onam Sadhya, creating Pookalam, and participating in Onam celebrations here in Canada.