Bengali New Year, also known as Poila Baisakh or Pohela Boishakh, marks the first day of the Bengali calendar and is celebrated in mid-April. This new year celebration connects Bengalis of all regions and religious backgrounds and is a massive cultural festival marked by colorful parades, sports, fairs, cultural activities, and food and sweets. 

Though this holiday occurs annually in the Bengali community, Haimabati Sen does not mention it every year she celebrates it. One instance where she mentions Bengali New Year is early on during her married life: “A few days later, the first of Baisakh, the Bengali New Year, was celebrated, new accounts books opened, and the pitch was filled with cash gifts from peasant tenants. The third of Baisakh was the date for my departure” (Sen 33). This particular new year celebration receives attention in the text because it occurs right before she must return to her husband’s home. 

Sources:

Bengali New Year (Pohela Boishakh ). https://www.prokerala.com/festivals/bengali-new-year.html. Accessed 24 Feb. 2021.

M.A., English Literature. “How Bengalis Make Their New Year, Poila Baisakh, Unique.” Learn Religions, https://www.learnreligions.com/poila-baisakh-bengali-new-year-1770201. Accessed 24 Feb. 2021

“Pohela Boishakh: Origin, History, Culture & Facts.” Daraz Life, 5 Apr. 2020, https://blog.daraz.com.bd/2020/04/05/pohela-boishakh-origin-history-culture-facts/.