School Holidays-Summer Vacations

School Holidays are the periods during which schools are closed for study. The dates and periods of school holidays vary considerably throughout the world, and there is usually some variation even within the same jurisdiction. In all countries, the longest break in the school year is during summer, lasting between 5 and 14 weeks.

In India, summer vacations start around Early March and ends at approximately on June. Typically, summer vacations start after one month of the new session that generally commences in late April or Early May. Summer vacations were the only thing we used to wait at our childhood. Going to our grandparent’s house was the thing we used to wait for. Today I am going to tell you about my summer vacation Trip In my both the grandparents Place.

MAY vacations In paternal Grandparents Home:

The Place we visit every year to my grandparents’ home is not the land where all my uncles and aunties belong to. It’s the place where my grandfather, my father & my uncles planned to have a Dream Home, In the Hill station of Dhenkanal, though we are originally belong to Cuttack District, Athagarh Village. My Parents and some of my uncles moved to the Cities for jobs, so me and my most of my cousins were born and brought up in an in cities and metros. As we have grown up in cities we have no clue about our ancestral village. My Grandparent’s Place happens to be the most special place for us in our childhood days. So every summer vacation we always go there when there was a vacation in our schools. We all together ,our 3 uncles,1 aunty, and most dearly we the 7 sisters & 2 brothers (me, my sister, our  5 cousin sisters & 2 cousin brothers).A Grand get together , celebration of Akhanda Bhajan(12 hrs. SaiBaba Bhajan) & Picnic time. After Bhajan Day we all always go to nearby uphill areas, for picnics with whole family. It was really fun. My Uncles Aunties Grandparents & of course my parents are really so good & so funny. We together always make our own little world with loadz of happiness without a drop of sorrow. With our family we really forget all our other responsibilities.   

Green mangoes freshly picked off a tree in my grandparents’ house – cut in to slices and sprinkled with salt and chilli powder. I miss green mangoes.. Especially with salt and chill powder!! I used to buy them from the little street vendor and get them wrapped in a paper packet. Mornings spent scouring magazines for the names of movies that could be used later that evening to fox the other team in a game of charades. Can’t forget after our daily home works, we used to play so many types of games. Story games are always the best.


 After tired of playing we come back to dining area, to take our food. The food was always yummy ,cooked by my mom, three aunties & our Kasi Bhai (working in our home/But so near to our hearts like a member of our family).so many types of food always confuse us, what to eat. And the taste confuse us to choose which was the best… after food moms always force us to sleep as Papa, all the uncles & both the brothers are just taking rest. So we always go to a room for sleeping, but never have I remembered that we have slept for a single moment. Those were the GOLDEN DAYS of our life. We all are together, eating together, playing together, fun together, and sleeping together!! So much fun, so much fighting, so much quarrelling & again so much love. Even in between every fun, we never forget to do our homework, given by our respective schools. We always do that in the guidance of our (Bapuji) grandfather (Former Circle Inspector of school, the gazetted officer), as he is the best teacher we ever met.

 After the restless day, while sleeping, our grandmother (Bou) used to tell us so many stories, which will help us for our good future. The moral of the stories always based on good behavior & blessing of the elders. After that we sleep peacefully.
But our parents and grandparents start their fun after we all will sleep.i can remember the playing cards & the sound of loud laugh,which made me wake so many times. i carefully hide myself and watch the fun,as i afraid if i will be caught while watching them, i will be again forced to sleep.I remember the cheating & quarreling many times,while playing cards.And my grandparents sitting beside enjoy them overwhelmingly. They were like got their paradise in there.So many times me & my sisters act like as we were sleeping,but originally we were waiting for them to indulge in their game & laughs, so that we can gossip & have our fun.Even i remember of watching the Television serial "Junun, Swaviman, Mahabharat, Ramayan, & lots of Movies" together with all family there. It was loadz of enjoyment..

I remember there was a cattle shade behind the house & a big garden, where we can find so many fruits, vegetables & flowers. No gardener took care of those. It’s always my grandparents who give their maximum time to their lovely garden. Let me tell you. It’s very beautiful & very green. We used to play there. Then pluck so many fruits for eating. I was the one who take leadership to divide everything equally. & make them play without quarrelling. My sisters always obey me also. 
Our brothers seldom play with us, as they are elder than us. But while going out they were always the leader. Our brothers took us (sisters) out in Car. They Gave ice cream & yummy foods to eat. Then while drove back to home, they gave us chocolates & playing stuffs. They are elderly & Lovely Loving Brothers.

The days were always short for our vacation. Soon the vacation came to an end. The fun between us, between the Fathers & Mothers everything was to finish. Everybody was so sad to   come back. Our grandparents were like broken again. They always cry for us, while our coming back. We all also cry. Our mothers used to cry a lot by holding each other & with grand maa. Fathers were sad. We were also very very sad.

Still we come back. By assuring each other, that the days will again come next year same time. We will again be together... Our cute caring & godly grandparents always look at us till the time our car not crossed the turning on the road… It’s the visits & love of our Paternal House.

JUNE Vacation at Maternal Grandparents Home:

My Maternal grandparent’s home is in Puri district, Kakatpur.Oh such nostalgia. I remember, when I reach there, & open the door to my grandparent's old house; a sweet, sensational smell of cooking food filled my nostrils and made my empty stomach growl. The aroma in the air was always a tease to my stomach and made me think my stomach was starting to eat away at itself.

Now my grandparents & my younger uncle aunty shifted to town area for the study of my younger cousin brother. When I reach there my grand maa used to cook so many things for us. My aunty who live there is always so happy, that she can’t even eat till the time we all will not finish our Lunch. Lovely memories. My elder uncle & aunty lives in Metro (Delhi). They also came on the same time there. We all family together that time. Me , My sister, Papa, Mummy ,Elder Uncle & Aunty, Their Only Son, Younger Uncle & Aunty, Their Two Sons. What a fun filled time, can’t even describe.

The place of my old maternal home was the village. All the houses in side by side like all the village is one home and the walls in between are just separating each home. But apart from that in the back yard we have a big two storied building. Where we used to stay when we went there. My elder uncles have 1 son & younger uncle have 2 sons. Our 3 cousin brothers and we two sisters really do so much fun together. Went to the river, play with water, climbing the trees for yummy fruits, roaming around in our huge garden & Lots more. We sometimes enjoyed sitting in the wholesale store of my Younger Uncle. We also act like shopkeeper there.

We have a big garden of coconut trees, palm trees, mango trees & other fruits & vegetable trees. It’s like a huge area covered like a forest. But all ours own. We had a cattle shade of 4 cows, who gave so tasty milk. My grandmother & Younger aunt used to make so many products out of milk. We enjoyed a lot there.

Our cousin brothers are really very protective towards us. They do whatever we both will tell them. The brothers are younger to both us sisters. But still they take us for roaming around many places with their bikes. I remember how many times they got scolding form elders for us. My poor little brothers. Love them a lot. Now they have grown up a lot.

I still remember sitting next to the fireplace burying sweet potatoes in the ashes of the chimney fire and then waiting for them to roast ever so patiently. Roasted sweet potatoes are heavenly but that's not one of my memories. I remember stealing the raw mangoes put out to dry for pickles & get scolding from elders. I remember sleeping on the open terrace, whole family together. I remember our brothers prepare swinging for us in our huge forest like garden. And we all enjoy swinging swinging.

After coming home we always gossip a lot together. Our elder aunty (the wife of my Bade Mamaji) always wanted to be with us kids. She is very cute also. She tells us so many funny & lovely things. We like to be with her always. And my grandfather (Former IAS Officer) always teases us with funny faces & words. He always made us laugh loud. My grandmother & Younger Aunty always try to cook so many dishes to feed us well. Then after that we all keep our heads on our grandmother’s lap & sleep & she tells us so many fairytales. I can still remember the dancing & singing going on in the evening time in the dining area.even i can remember the verity of yummy village typical foods serving to us.i can also remember our elder aunt doing our facial & make up so lovingly.

We whole family goes here & there from kakatpur for visiting with our papa & both the uncles. Most especially we go to Kakatpur Mangala Maa Temple, Puri Sri Jagannath Temple & The sea beaches near. We do so much fun there…with whole family together.

When it’s the time came to an end, the same sadness & waiting for the next visits. My Grandparents & younger Aunty really cried a lot with my mom. We both were also very sad to get apart from our lovely brothers, uncle, aunties. & most especially our godly lovable grandparents.

Still we came back, focused on our next session of studies & always wait for the next time to visit our both the grandparents’ homes again next year, as every year.I always take pride that i have such a lovely family,where there are sad & heart breaking moments,but that can't ever conquer over our happy & Heavenly moments.
Now I am just remembering the days only…what the golden days those are … Just Flew away very early. We have had so much fun in our both Grandparents’ place.Now we all already grown up.From my paternal family we 4 sisters &  Two big brothers already got married & with our respective spouses in different place. In My maternal family the brothers are really busy in their studies & the elder one busy in his job(Engineer).Now we all are so busy in work that we seldom getting time to go to our grandparent’s place & also for such get together fun. Now it’s all in memories, rather I would say it’s the “Heavenly Memories”, never ever can forget by any of us. I hope we will also continue this like a family tradition,yearly at-least once,Everyone together...I Love You all My Both Families…