This year's Pahela Baishakh celebrations will be lacklustre, as many pundits suggest. But I beg to differ, for I think your culture and cultural celebrations have nothing to do with religion or politics. It is a spring harvest celebration in most rice-cultivating countries in southern Asia. In each country, the name and face of the celebrations are done according to their culture and traditions.

In Myanmar, it is the ceremony of the Thingyan Water Festival. In Cambodia, the elders cleanse statues of the Buddha with perfumed water. There is Flour throwing in Laos, while Biska Jatra signifies the start of the Nepali New Year; all these celebrations fall on, or around the April 14th in the Bangla calendar. The Bangla calendar is also known as the lunisolar calendar, where days and important dates are marked by the motions or effects of the sun and moon.

I always argue that while geographical location influences your culture and traditions, it is also multifaceted and depends on many factors like economy, history, geography, and social interactions. This may be a research and thesis topic for social scientists. Let's just leave it at that. Instead, let us jot down fun things we can do this new year, joy that will cost you almost nothing.

A rickshaw ride after sundown is number one on my list. Though the motorised ones are scary, if you are up for a bit of recklessness, then take the plunge. This rickshaw's racing speed, and the summer evening breeze together give you a small dose of adrenaline rush. But enough to lift your spirits, this rickshaw ride can be hired for an hourly fee, in all areas of the city.

Then the second must-try would be popping balloons with those rickety air guns at Baishakh mela or fairs. In fact, most open spaces in and around the city suburbs have pop-up fairs. It was installed during Eid, and it will continue till the Baishakh festivities are done.

Diya Bari in Uttara is dotted with colourful fairs. Adventurous rides like the pirate ship are a hot favourite with kids, teens, and young adults, waiting in a long queue to enjoy the surfing experience. On a regular day, the ticket is a mere Tk 30, but on special occasions, it hikes up to Tk 80. Many get tickets for three rides at a stretch, sit at the edge, and come down all wobbly and dizzy. Besides these, there are traditional wooden nagordolas, and mechanical Ferris wheels, carousels, and bumper cars, plus more

Kulfi and Ice Gola is a must-have on a scorching Baishakhi noon, and it is third on my list. The creamy frozen dessert, kulfi is sold in big hari or pots covered with a red cloth. These vendors are found around the university campus and public spaces.

Besides the Baishakh staple snacks of batasha, murali, and coconut naru, you must try the crushed ice, charred green mango or kacha aam mocktail, the chilled lemonade from the season's best lemon harvest, the gondhoraj lebu r shorbot, and salted lassi, but all these juice spritzers must be made at home because homemade ones are extra refreshing.

My fourth choice on the to-do list is a bit off track from the usual fun list and it requires putting in an effort, but it is so worth the try. If you are in the university area, then take a ride to Nazimuddin Road. It is the lane that leads towards the Central Jail Museum in Old Dhaka; there you have Nasu Faruker Bakorkhani Bakery. Delicious bakhorkhani or Shuka Ruti is a traditional old Dhaka savoury, and we have all had them in assorted flavours.

But the slight twist that I am hinting at here is that you eat a freshly baked, hot from the oven, melt-in-your-mouth Bakorkhani. It is a treat like no other; the salted or sweet doughs, just off the tandoor, is a notch up there in gastronomical indulges.

If you can, add a slice of Dhaka paneer to this, then heaven is right there, even in this blistering Chaitra-Baishakh heat.

Don't forget to visit the fine arts faculty premises; the atmosphere there around this time of the year is electrifying. Masks and Baishakh crafts make for great gifts for friends who live abroad.

Baishakh lunch is mandatory, and if you are hosting one, then please shuffle the set menu this year. Opt for phena bhaat, a slack rice dish with vegetables, and try curd rice, known generally as doi panta.

Don't forget the jasmine garlands; after all, what is summer without jasmines and frangipanis? Enjoy the colours of your culture and celebrate your cultural identity.