Dashain Turns Melancholic For The Elderly

As Dashain arrives, families come together, houses reverberate with sounds of laughter, and parents look forward to hearing the footsteps of their children.  The aroma of traditional delicacies will begin to waft through the neighbourhoods as people prepare to celebrate Dashain with their dear ones. There are many people who migrate to other places in the country, including the cities, in search of a better career or education and come back to their own village to celebrate the festival. But there are many families who will be left celebrating Dashain without their loved ones due to various reasons. Those who stay away from them on account of work or education in faraway places, even foreign countries, cannot join them for the celebration.

For many seniors, Dashain becomes a time of pain because of their increasing solitude. Whereas the whole nation enjoys the holiday surrounded by their loved ones, lonely seniors cannot feel happy during this period. Many senior parents who live alone do not get the chance to celebrate with their children who have moved abroad in search of a better life. Moreover, the seniors who have lost their spouse and live all alone suffer from even greater loneliness. It goes beyond just ageing because they spend their holiday thinking of the times when their house was full of family members’ joyful laughter.

Many senior citizens, whose children have been living abroad for years, feel that the happy voices and laughter in their surroundings only heighten the silence in their homes. They dream of seeing that happy smile and experiencing the presence of their children with them on Dashain. They wonder if their dream of celebrating the festival with their children would ever be fulfilled. But they still hope that their children will return one day.

For now, technology can serve as a means of communicating with their loved ones who are abroad. Parents virtually attend tika ceremonies with their children and grandchildren, blessing them from afar. They exchange stories and talk about their feelings for those few minutes. However, that happiness is short-lived; as soon as the call ends, they are left with the same silence and melancholy.