Should we stop gifts in India during Diwali: A question concerning a customary tradition

Diwali has always been a much anticipated festival involving plenty of thought, planning and excitement. The custom of exchanging gifts between friends and family go hand in hand with the celebrations and rituals performed on this day. The gifts are symbolic of the exchange of good wishes and love with your dear ones. However, depending on the recipient and intent, the quality and variety of the gifts may vary. Here we try to figure out whether we should continue to follow this age-old tradition of exchanging gifts or abandon it.rnAt first, let us consider the pros of such gifts on the people involved with it. It is a true blessing to celebrate Diwali with your loved ones since sharing and embracing Diwali with friends and family can definitely multiply the magic and cheer of the festival. But not everyone is blessed with this opportunity of being with family on this festival of light. People living overseas can participate in this festivity and share their joys pertaining to this auspicious occasion by sending Diwali gifts to India to their family members as tokens of love and compassion. This makes their presence felt even being miles apart. With the present global internet scenario, it is possible to reach out to your loved ones and involve them in your celebrations irrespective of distance.rnGifting and receiving gifts has become an essential part of the ceremonies today and people look forward to such Diwali gifts with much anticipation, enchanting in the delight of gifts as they peek out from their colorfully wrapped boxes. It is not surprising thus that plenty of deliberation goes into selecting these gifts for Diwali. These gifts form the basis of mutual trust and bonding that people share with one another. It is a personification of all your feelings and emotions that you desire to share with the recipient and also serves as a token of appreciation that express unspoken sentiments.rnDiwali is a Hindu festival which is deep rooted with several cultural values associated with it. One such ancient value is to bow down to the elders and touch their feet in order to seek blessings. Since people living abroad are unable to perform such customs personally, sending Diwali gifts to India online are the best way to do them. Such gifts may range from the conventional types of hampers containing hand-made sweets or a collection of dry fruits to the customized ones like designer diyas or assorted chocolates. rnBut at times such gifts can have detrimental effects as well. Often people indulge in a spending spree in order to buy gifts. Extravagance may spoil the purpose behind exchanging Diwali gifts as it may lack the touch of individuality and warmth which conservative Indian families look for. It is also observed that due to the online boom, people send Westernized gifts to their families which might hurt the sentiments of orthodox Hindus, especially the elders of our family. Thus we should be choosing our gifts wisely keeping in mind the traditions involved with the auspicious occasion and not deviate from the real objective of gifting.