<p>According to the Hindu calendar, Ugadi is the beginning of a new year. <br /><br />But most youngsters celebrate the New Year on January 1, irrespective of which caste or creed they belong to.<br /><br />When Metrolife asked a few youngsters in the City whether they celebrated New Year on January 1 or on Ugadi, they said both days give reasons to celebrate. <br /><br />Varun, an engineering student, emphasises how important both these days are to him. <br /><br />“Ugadi is meant for family get-togethers. We decorate our house with fresh mango leaves and share bevu-bella with everyone around. <br /><br />We have an awesome lunch with special dishes and invite our relatives. The festive spirit lasts the entire day,” he explains. And what does he do on January 1? <br /><br />“While the whole world welcomes the New Year on January 1, how can we sit <br />quiet?” he asks. <br /><br />“New Year is more about mingling with friends and having fun with them. I have a great time on New Year with a big bunch of friends,” he adds. For Aishwarya, a management student, both the occasions are meant for celebration.<br /><br />“Ugadi brings in a lot of excitement for me. I purchase new dresses and attractive gifts for my cousins. Be it any festival, my family members and I celebrate it with much enthusiasm,” she says.<br /><br />“Devotion and tradition play a vital role here while fun and parties rule the <br />New Year celebrations on January 1. New Year is more of fun, food and music which every youngster like me enjoys. I feel both the occasions are equally important,” she adds. <br /><br />Debolina, a journalism student, says Ugadi and New Year mean the same to her as <br />she is staying away from home. <br /><br />“Being a hosteller, I miss all the festivals and home food over here. But my friends don’t allow me to sit in my room on special occasions,” she says.<br /><br />“Be it any festival, they take me to a restaurant and we all have good food and fun over there. It’s the same with New Year also,” she adds.<br /><br />Though some youngsters celebrate Ugadi, they do not consider it as the beginning of a new year.<br /><br />Hemanth, a professional, says that he observes New Year on January 1 itself. <br />“I celebrate New Year on January 1 as it is easy to remember. I spend the day with friends partying and remembering the good old days,” he says.<br /><br /> “I make resolutions on New Year day. But that doesn’t mean I don’t <br />celebrate Ugadi. More than a new year, it is just like any other festival for me,” he says. <br />For Yogitha, a degree student, “On New Year, I wish my friends over the phone or send them SMSes and greeting cards. More than the festivities, it is just an exchange of wishes.” <br /><br />“But Ugadi comes with its own kind of celebrations and festive spirit. It is the coming together of friends, family members, neighbours and relatives,” she says.<br /><br />“It is an occasion to have bevu-bella and obbattu, to flaunt our new dresses and roam around the street. The festival means a lot to me,” she adds.</p>
<p>According to the Hindu calendar, Ugadi is the beginning of a new year. <br /><br />But most youngsters celebrate the New Year on January 1, irrespective of which caste or creed they belong to.<br /><br />When Metrolife asked a few youngsters in the City whether they celebrated New Year on January 1 or on Ugadi, they said both days give reasons to celebrate. <br /><br />Varun, an engineering student, emphasises how important both these days are to him. <br /><br />“Ugadi is meant for family get-togethers. We decorate our house with fresh mango leaves and share bevu-bella with everyone around. <br /><br />We have an awesome lunch with special dishes and invite our relatives. The festive spirit lasts the entire day,” he explains. And what does he do on January 1? <br /><br />“While the whole world welcomes the New Year on January 1, how can we sit <br />quiet?” he asks. <br /><br />“New Year is more about mingling with friends and having fun with them. I have a great time on New Year with a big bunch of friends,” he adds. For Aishwarya, a management student, both the occasions are meant for celebration.<br /><br />“Ugadi brings in a lot of excitement for me. I purchase new dresses and attractive gifts for my cousins. Be it any festival, my family members and I celebrate it with much enthusiasm,” she says.<br /><br />“Devotion and tradition play a vital role here while fun and parties rule the <br />New Year celebrations on January 1. New Year is more of fun, food and music which every youngster like me enjoys. I feel both the occasions are equally important,” she adds. <br /><br />Debolina, a journalism student, says Ugadi and New Year mean the same to her as <br />she is staying away from home. <br /><br />“Being a hosteller, I miss all the festivals and home food over here. But my friends don’t allow me to sit in my room on special occasions,” she says.<br /><br />“Be it any festival, they take me to a restaurant and we all have good food and fun over there. It’s the same with New Year also,” she adds.<br /><br />Though some youngsters celebrate Ugadi, they do not consider it as the beginning of a new year.<br /><br />Hemanth, a professional, says that he observes New Year on January 1 itself. <br />“I celebrate New Year on January 1 as it is easy to remember. I spend the day with friends partying and remembering the good old days,” he says.<br /><br /> “I make resolutions on New Year day. But that doesn’t mean I don’t <br />celebrate Ugadi. More than a new year, it is just like any other festival for me,” he says. <br />For Yogitha, a degree student, “On New Year, I wish my friends over the phone or send them SMSes and greeting cards. More than the festivities, it is just an exchange of wishes.” <br /><br />“But Ugadi comes with its own kind of celebrations and festive spirit. It is the coming together of friends, family members, neighbours and relatives,” she says.<br /><br />“It is an occasion to have bevu-bella and obbattu, to flaunt our new dresses and roam around the street. The festival means a lot to me,” she adds.</p>
