If cooking for a festival, do make alist of all the things and material you will need well in advance and prepare for the festival. Make a list of the menu, then a list of what you will need for the preperations . Then a list for the puja needs. If there is another puja in the near future, see what you will for this too and make one trip to the shop/market.
The geja vastra can be coloured with using raw milk to keep the colour red and the Vathis soaked in ghee well in advance. arrange the vathis in a flat bottomed bok or dabba arrange all the wathis and pour melted ghee on it till the Vathis are well soaked. this you can keep as long as you want.When you want to use just heat the dabba and the Vathis will loosen. Like, this what ever can be made ready well in advance do it.
So also cut the vegetables the previous day itself. If raw banana is cut, sprinkle a little salt so the the cut banana does not become black or discoloured.
Usually brinjal, padval, arvi, banana stem, banana flower ONION/garlick is not to be cooked for a festival meal.
Nowadays in many houses, i hear omit making Kheer saying no one eats it. On festival days kheer is a must, do make a little for shashtra at least. Make it a point that all members partake a little of the kheer.
Mothers have to train their children to eat Kheer and Pancha- amrutha on festival days.
Even if the women work, if they make up their minds and believe in family and hindu customs, they will defnetly make that little extra effort to celibrate the festivals and the children will also follow the mother in these customs. Women also, do read and ask the elders and find out about each puja, why it is celebrated and the the way it is done in the family. Each fest and puja generally have story behind it, try and learn about this, so you can tell the children.
Hindu religion is a great one, please do take the trouble to celebrate them.
