When Celebration Feels Empty

 Is it really necessary for us to say “Happy Diwali” when it doesn’t feel happy for us? Perhaps such wishes should only be shared when the joy is genuine and real.

Festivals were meant to spread happiness, connection, and life among people. Yet somehow, we have lost that purpose. Instead of joy, they often bring pressure—the endless cleaning, the preparations, the expectation to make others happy—while our own happiness gets left behind. Doing things for others and according to others is okay for a while, but gradually it breaks us down from the inside. Every year, this festival seems to bring more and more unhappiness.

In many homes, we feel unseen, unvalued, and unimportant. What is truly happy about Diwali when the weight of expectations overshadows every moment of celebration? The only glimpses of happiness come from our children, and even that fades when their demands or stubbornness take over.

And what about daughters-in-law, often labeled “less important”? Can we truly expect them to feel a sense of belonging in a home they enter after 25 or 26 years of their life? Expecting love or acceptance under such circumstances can feel impossible.

Why can’t festivals make everybody feel important and happy? Perhaps the case is not the same for everyone, but some of us might resonate with this feeling.

Festivals are meant to bring us together, to uplift and connect us. Yet when they leave us feeling pressured, overlooked, and exhausted, it is worth asking—what is their real purpose?