The Indian calendar is a relentless parade of festivals—Diwali, Holi, Eid, Pongal, Ganesh Chaturthi, Christmas. Each festival demands weeks of preparation: cleaning the house till it shines, buying new clothes, preparing 20 different kinds of sweets, and hosting relatives. The family goes into "festival mode," which translates to controlled hysteria. But it is during these times that the deepest bonds are forged. Cleaning out the attic together, staying up late to make gulab jamuns , bursting firecrackers on the balcony—these are the memories that become the family folklore.