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Denizens plan for unique Independence Day celebrations with a touch of Covid-19 safety protocols!
With pandemic changing the dynamics of Independence Day celebrations, many Delhi-NCR residents have made elaborate plans of celebrating the day at home.
Even as the pandemic continues to redefine most people’s day-to-day lives, the city folks are gearing up for the Independence Day celebrations albeit in a different fashion than ever before. With the Covid-19 precautions such as the social distancing norms being an imperative part of all celebrations, the festivities of Independence Day have undergone a complete overhaul for most denizens.
Dilshad Garden resident Priyanka Agarwal admits that this year’s celebration will be bereft of an outdoor picnic. Indeed to make up for it, she plans to cook a nice feast for her family. “We would usually go for a picnic at India gate lawns after children would return from celebrations at their school. The vibe at that place would be so different on that day. As this year we don’t plan like taking our kids at any crowded location hence I’ll cook some of their favorite dishes at home itself,” she says, adding that she has already been busy for whole last week planning the look of her twins for a virtual fancy dress competition being held to mark the Independence Day.
“My kids have a virtual fancy dress competition at their school, so I am only preparing the dresses for their activity and planning their looks for the event. We have to plan for it in advance as it is happening virtually and there was a deadline for submitting entries for the event,” she tells us. Agarwal is dressing her nine-year-old twins Rimisha and Priyanshi as Indira Gandhi and Rani Laxmi Bai respectively.
For Greater Noida resident Kirti Mishra Narang, Independence Day is always an occasion to inculcate spirit of patriotism in kids. “Independence Day holds a lot of value for us and we always celebrate it proactively. This year, owing to Covid-19 concerns, we would be celebrating at home. Kids will dress up in tri colour and they have prepared songs and speeches. We will all have a mini family celebration. I will also prepare a tri-colour sandwich for them,” says Narang.
She also plans to share this happiness with the needy in her neighbourhood. “We will be distributing stationary to kids and dry snacks to guards around our society, to spread the joy of sharing,” she says.
READ: Schools gear up for virtual celebrations, this Independence Day
Noida’s Rohit Sharma has planned a flag hoisting at home itself and will celebrate the festival with close members of the family. “My daughter is in the second standard and she is always very excited to pair her school uniform with a tri-color hairband, bracelet and carry a flag to school. As she won’t be able to go to school this year, we have planned to not let her feel nostalgic and indeed have all this fun at home itself. I have got a flag and will get it hoisted by her at the roof of our house. I’m sure she will love it,” says Sharma.
Faridabad’s Bhavika Verma is taking help of her parents to shoot and record a video of her song that will be played on her schools’ social media pages as part of the I-day celebrations. “I have been practicing a patriotic song for the occasion and will record it with my mom’s help. All my friends are also recording some speeches, dance or moral stories for the day and we will all get together to watch it on our schools’ page as their will be no online classes on the Independence Day,” she chuckles.
Author tweets @kediashish