Poila Baishakh 2023: A Day Into A Bengali Household On New Year's Day

The New Year 2023 marks the 1429-30 year in the Bengali calendar. Poila Baishakh, also known as Noboborsho, the Bengali New Year, is one of the most important festivals for the Bengali communities in India as well as Bangladesh and across the globe. The word Poila means first and Baishakh is the first month of the Bengali calendar.

Marking the first day of the Bengali calendar which usually falls on April 14 or 15 every year, the festival is the first of the many festivals Bengalis celebrate year-round. There is a phrase in Bengali ‘baro mashe tero parbon’ which translates to ‘there are 13 festivals in 12 months’ for the Bengalis starting with Nobosborsho.

Let’s take a look at how the festival is usually celebrated in a Bengali household.

Morning Rituals On Noboborsho

Hailing from a Bengali household, my morning on a Poila Baishakh began with waking up to some Rabindra sangeet. My mother makes me take a bath early in the morning and get into my new clothes so that we could visit the temple to seek God’s blessings to start the new year.

Don't Miss:Why Fish Is a Must In Bengali Wedding Rituals?

The pooja is usually followed by some pet pooja (feeding our stomach) with Bengali’s most favourite breakfast– kochuri and cholar dal or kachori and chana dal which is stuffed puri and chickpeas. You cannot separate Bengalis and food as we look for the festivals so that we can have lavish meals throughout the day.

Afternoon Fiesta On Poila Baishakh

It is a ritual to seek blessings from the elders and sometimes we get money in return from our grandparents as well. For the relatives staying far away, we are instructed to make call them and seek their blessings.

Following this, we start preparing for our lunch spread. Most of the times, we have our relatives over to celebrate Noboborsho together over some delicious food. The lunch menu usually comprises Basanti Pulao or Fried Rice along with fish curry, chicken or mutton curry, sweets such as Rosogolla or Sondesh and Mishti Doi (sweet curd).

Don't Miss:Authentic Bengali Veg Dishes Beyond Aloo Posto

Evening On Bengali New Year

In the evening, the businessmen have poojas at their shops. This is one of the most favourite time of the day as child when we visit these shops with our parents and get laddoos or other sweets or discounts at the shop. We also visit our relatives and friends to exchange wishes and blessings and get to feast on some delicious snacks and sweets and have yet another lavish dinner spread together to celebrate the occasion and embrace the upcoming 12 other festivals throught the year.