Rekindling festive spirit

Festivals are more than rituals; they are the heartbeat of a community. They are also the signatures of social harmoney. In Dimapur, occasions such as Durga Puja, Christmas and New Year once transformed the city into a theatre of shared joy. Streets shimmered with lights, pandals thrummed with life, and families stepped out to savour the warmth of the festive season. Those public moments stitched people together and made the city’s community the symphony of harmony. Sadly, the pulse has weakened and for varied reasons. In recent years the spectacle that once defined these festivals has been hijacked by the jarring sound of crackers and bomb- noisy substitutes for genuine celebration. This is not simply a fall in pageantry but signals a deeper change in how the community engages with these occasions. The calendar is crowded, leaving many with festival fatigue. Economic strains, social uncertainty and rising anxieties have further dulled enthusiasm for large-scale public festivities. The result is a quieter, more fragmented expression of joy. Yet festivals are precisely the means by which communities rise above routine struggles and reaffirm shared bonds. When a city stops celebrating together, it risks losing an irreplaceable strand of social cohesion. Festivals are communal by nature; they thrive when joy is multiplied through participation, not privatized or drowned out by excess. Reclaiming that spirit cannot be left to officials alone. Civic agencies can provide infrastructure, manage traffic and enforce regulations, but they cannot manufacture warmth or belonging. The true energy of a festival comes from people: from households that decorate, from neighbors who open their doors, from community groups that design inclusive events. Every neighborhood has a role to play. The revival of the spirit of social harmony must be guided by inclusivity and moderation. Excessive noise, drunken revelry and behavior that intimidates children or the elderly push many away from public spaces. Instead of spectacle for spectacle’s sake, communities should prioritise family-friendly, culturally rich activities that welcome all ages. Local clubs, youth groups and religious organisations can lead by organising safe, creative programmes- street decorations, concerts, craft stalls and joint meals- that invite participation rather than exclude it. Individual actions matter as much as organised events. Simple gestures- stringing lights, visiting an elderly neighbour, sharing a meal- rekindle the intimacy festivals are meant to nurture. Small, intentional acts aggregate into a visible culture of care. The aim should not be grandeur but togetherness- in the streets where families stroll comfortably, where friends meet and memories are made that reinforce social bonds. Awareness is the starting point where the objective is to create and sustain the foundation of peace and harmony. People must recognise that festivals are living traditions requiring attention and commitment. If people choose to invest time, creativity and goodwill, Dimapur can once again host celebrations that illuminate its streets and its collective spirit. Festivals once defined the essence of Dimapur’s communal life and it won’t be difficult to revive it. With conscious effort and collective responsibility, that essence can be restored- not through government programmes but collective efforts of all by which to remind people that shared joy is the strongest foundation of a thriving society.