Dual celebration

The Internet and WhatsApp are full of messages on why one should not wish "Happy Pateti” or "Pateti Mubarak.” I used to wish Pateti Mubarak until just 10 years back when I was made aware of the reason not to.
I grew up celebrating Pateti and New Year together. Our parents saw that we had two party dresses from a famous Parsi store in those days (in the 1950s) called "Diana” and two pairs of matching shoes from the Chinese shoemaker near Regal Cinema. On one day it was dinner at Gaylords and the next day Adi Marzban’s play. I distinctly recollect that the cards that my parents sent during those festive days read "Pateti Mubarak and Navroze Mubarak.” Since I was brought up with all these festivities I continued the same with our daughters who also waited for Pateti-Navroz, and all the lollies it brought with it. I fail to understand why suddenly we have this theory of no wishes for Pateti.
Pateti is now meant to be a day of shraadh when one thinks and prays for those who are not with us. Sounds more like some kind of mourning. After giving this a serious thought I decided I will continue to wish Happy Pateti because by that I am including our beloved ones who are not with us anymore, who mean the world to us but are physically absent though very much in spirit. After all during our Gatha days there is a tray full of goodies that are placed in the name of the departed soul to indicate they are there with us so what is the harm in including them in our greetings? RODA D. HAKIM
Vadodara
vadhakim@yahoo.com