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Spice of Life: Heartwarming hues of winter happiness
As always, dry skin and winter-related peeves become a ubiquitous topic and soon lead to remedies from body lotions and oils being discussed. Thanks to a friend who recently gifted me a rich hand cream made with natural ingredients, every time I use it the fragrance of the forest comes alive.
As seasons change, so do conversations. With winter at its peak, a typical dialogue begins with: “It’s so cold! It’s so foggy outside. When will the sun turn up?” Thankfully sometimes, we also come across, “It’s a nice sunny day today.” Many of us don’t forget adding the “brrr” background sound in good measure. Many are seen rubbing their palms while chatting and if it’s a phone conversation, amusingly either side accuses the other of “creating the cold conditions”.
As always, dry skin and winter-related peeves become a ubiquitous topic and soon lead to remedies from body lotions and oils being discussed. Thanks to a friend who recently gifted me a rich hand cream made with natural ingredients, every time I use it the fragrance of the forest comes alive.
One of my aunts is always promoting coconut oil in this season, terming it effective not only for the body but also for the face and hair. “Massage it thoroughly after a bath,” she always reminds us. This winter, I finally paid heed to her advice and found it works. Both the skin and hair seem to adore it and it doesn’t smell at all, rather gets absorbed.
The chill in the air also smartens us. Our winter gear comprises long coats, mufflers, sweaters, jackets, gloves and more. Getting ready may take time but the result is all elegance. As the mercury dips, many don’t mind going for a cover-up and heading out wrapped in lohis and even blankets, caring little about making a style statement. A visit to villages in this weather takes one down memory lane as people still wear hand knitted sweaters, mostly made by their grandmothers. Their warmth is special for they’re knitted with love.
Winter cuisine is the favourite with all Punjabis. Besides ‘makki di roti with sarson da saag’, who can say no to the mouth-watering ‘gajrela’. Piping hot tea is another delight in this weather.
Nothing can beat the warmth of bonfires these days. It’s a joy to even look at people sitting around them on roadsides. Our colony’s watchman makes one every night and many of us joyfully join him. During visits to my village, where my uncle and aunt live, we love the company of the old fireplace with cups of tea in hand. Glad, they kept it alive. We also dress our chairs with blankets, which makes it special and we keep the conversation going slow and soft. The Danish call such a scene ‘hygge’, which simply means to create warmth and comfort.
However, despite the many charms of winter, we forget enjoying it and instead go on complaining. More ironic are those, who denounce every season, turning a blind eye to the joys they bring. So much of happiness depends upon how you choose to look at the world. Isn’t it?
The writer is an Amritsar-based freelance contributor and can be reached at rameshinder.sandhu@gmail.com
