Independence Day. To children like me, patriotic days like Independence Day and Republic Day brings back memories, patriotic songs, assemblies, dances and much more. It is a day of wonder that brings goosebumps to our skin. Even now, I remember such an assembly from when I was in the third grade. The children were hosting a skit, and even from the last row, I could feel the throbbing of the music and goosebumps all over me as Vande Mataram was played. I could see nothing from over the heads of my fellow classmates, but I heard a lot and what I heard pleased me.
On patriotic occasions like Independence Day, I used to wake up early and get excited, because, in our school, they allowed us to wear Indian flag coloured dresses. I remember, that when I was in second grade, I was there for the assembly and I was gonna dress up as Jansi Rani. Oooh, I still remember the feeling I had as I walked to school with a toy sword in my hand, people staring strangely at me! At school, as I was quickly ushered into a room to work on my makeup, my friends came searching for me, and you should have seen the looks on their faces.
Independence Day is an amazing and sacred day for all Indians. It reminds us of the hard trials we had suffered, our hard-as-stone willpower, and our rich culture and altogether, it just makes us too proud for words of the fact that…We. Are. INDIANS.
People celebrate Independence Day in different days. Some just bring flags to their office desks and spend the whole day basking in patriotic glory while others dress up as freedom fighters and paint their faces with the tricolour. Our Prime Minister gives the ‘Address to the Nation’ on the eve of Independence Day. Following that, the next day, he hoists our national flag in front of the Red Fort. Twenty-one gun shots are fired as tribute to this occasion. After a few ceremonies, starts my favourite thing ever, the march past or parade. On the years we got holidays on Independence Day, me and my mom used to sit and watch the parade as floats and tents of different states passed by.
Then, I used to try and make bracelets and flags out of paper, getting the sudden inspiration from the parade. But it doesn’t matter how you do it, every single bit of patriotism felt towards our dear country, is like a drop that increases the vastness of an ocean.