Happy New Year! Or as we say ‘Sal Mubarak’ or ‘Nutan Varshna Abhinandan’ meaning best wishes for the new year.
Traditionally we visit family, particularly our elders to pay our respects. We have mithai (my favourites include googra, burfi, biscuits…. Mmm, my mouth is watering just thinking about it!) and nastho (delicious savoury snacks such as chevdo, sev mumbra, chakri, jeera puri… all the good deep-fried stuff!!) As Bethu Varas is on a weekday this year, we’ll go and see everyone over the weekend.
We generally wear new clothes today to represent a fresh start for the new year and my Bapuji (paternal grandpa) used to always buy a new pack of moong beans, nimak (salt) and fugyo/supri (broom). We often eat moong bean curry for dinner and something sweet such as siro (semolina dessert).
