This year's February 14 carried special significance. The day was marked by three important events-- Shab-e-Barat, Pohela Falgun and Valentine's Day in a mix of religious and social rituals and traditions.
Shab-e-Barat known as a night of forgiveness with the belief that the Almighty exonerates the sins of those who sincerely pray and grants them blessings for the entire year is observed with great devotion across Muslim world including Bangladesh.
On this holy night, devout Muslims throng mosques to offer prayers and seek forgiveness from Allah and flock to graveyards of their kith and kin to pray the departed souls. Acts of charity such as distribution of food and money to the underprivileged are witnessed across the country.
Falgun is the most elated and exhilarated month in Bengli calendar. This month's first day also known 'Pohela Falgun' has been celebrated in Bangladesh with great enthusiasm and jubilation. Pohela means 'first' in Bengali, while Falgun or Fagun is the eleventh month of the Bengali calendar.
Interestingly, the first of Falgun usually falls on 13 February as per Gregorian Calendar. However, due to changes to the Bangla calendar from 2020 onwards, Pohela Falgun is celebrated on February 14. In 2019, Bangla Academy revised Bangla Calendar to match it with the Gregorian calendar with the objective of observing the significant days in line with the historic background. The festival is also celebrated as Basanta Utsab or Spring Festival.
With the celebration of Pohela Falgun in February, the festival gets an extra vigor and gaiety. It is because that the historic Language Day is observed on February 21 each year with the unveiling of the country's largest book fair on the first day of this month. Book fair that takes place on the extended areas of the Bangla Academy and its adjacent places attracts tons of people from around the country.
With the onset of Falgun, new leaves emerge from the trees after the winter's dryness and nature takes a topsy-turvy look decorating the branches of trees with new vibrant flowers such as shimul, polash and marigold. Spring flowers, which are mainly yellow, orange and red are adorned with the hairs of girls and women. Men and boys are dressed in yellow, orange, and other bright color clothes that represent the Spring season. Both men and women welcome and greet the season with flowers and reciting poems and songs and performing dances.
Valentine's Day is also celebrated on the same day. People particularly from the urban high and middle classes celebrate the day amid great enthusiasm and gaiety taking a pause from the enormous pressure and anxieties from their everyday lives.
The day in our country is marked as one of the major celebrations of the year. All the day, the atmosphere of the country seems to be filled with love and romance. Love birds tend to wear red colored sarees and dresses to make the day even more special.
