Poila Boishak literally means the first day of the Hindu month 'Boisakh'.
Now basically the Hindu calendar is essentially different from the English calendar and even other Hindu calendars. To cut long story short, I get pissed off by people who think that the New year day will fall on 14th of April, every year! This is not true, it could be 14th or 15th depending on how it is calculated per our calendar.
Anyways, leaving aside the irritation and the explaining a dozen people, just a reminder to self and all is that one day before the new year, happens to be the last day of the year and eventually that month and known as 'Sankranti'. Basically last day of every month is therefore a Sankranti and known by different names. It's basically a transition. Again in some parts of Bharat, Sankranti marks the beginning of the month. The fact still remains the same - there are 12 Sankrantis in a year.
On the Sankranti day, the ritual we followed as children was to bathe in neem leaves and haldi. The scientific reasons have always been part of our culture, neem and haldi are antiseptics and yes changing seasons are the times when the body needs to be taken care of much!
The food also consists of having fried neem leaves, unripe mangoes in Daal which basically have a cooling effect on the body.
Poila Boisakh marks essentially the first day of the year when wishes are exchanged, friends and relatives are visited, new clothes are worn. This specifically means wishing the pleasantries to stay for the rest of the year.
Now basically the Hindu calendar is essentially different from the English calendar and even other Hindu calendars. To cut long story short, I get pissed off by people who think that the New year day will fall on 14th of April, every year! This is not true, it could be 14th or 15th depending on how it is calculated per our calendar.
Anyways, leaving aside the irritation and the explaining a dozen people, just a reminder to self and all is that one day before the new year, happens to be the last day of the year and eventually that month and known as 'Sankranti'. Basically last day of every month is therefore a Sankranti and known by different names. It's basically a transition. Again in some parts of Bharat, Sankranti marks the beginning of the month. The fact still remains the same - there are 12 Sankrantis in a year.
On the Sankranti day, the ritual we followed as children was to bathe in neem leaves and haldi. The scientific reasons have always been part of our culture, neem and haldi are antiseptics and yes changing seasons are the times when the body needs to be taken care of much!
The food also consists of having fried neem leaves, unripe mangoes in Daal which basically have a cooling effect on the body.
Poila Boisakh marks essentially the first day of the year when wishes are exchanged, friends and relatives are visited, new clothes are worn. This specifically means wishing the pleasantries to stay for the rest of the year.
