2019-2020

Football 101 is an open event targeted towards bringing together Texas A&M international students and breaking down the basics of football. This year we had special appearances from the Texas A&M Yell Leaders, Texas A&M Traditions Council and Kerri Vance.

Bangladesh is a multicultural country where people from different cultural backgrounds and celebrate together. Bangladeshi traditional wear varies based on these different cultural celebrations. Today, Bangladesh Student Association, Texas A&M University is presenting the diversity of the traditional costumes based on different cultural celebrations of Bangladesh.

Segment 1: Bengali New Year (Pohela Boishakh); Participants: Farrhin Nowshad & Md Nazibul Islam

Attire and accessories:

• Female: Shari (White and red combination, Clay made ornaments, kacher churi, big red flower for hair)
• Male: Red pujabi with white salwar, it would be great if it comes with a shawl on one side.

Script: Bengali new year is termed as ‘Pohela Boishakh’ and is celebrated every year on the April 14 th with the traditional attires of red and white. The day begins with a colorful procession named as ‘Mongol Shovajatra’ and Rabindra Sangeet/songs of Tagore followed by daylong fairs. Red and White colors are seen in everyone’s attire. Women wear red saree (a long cloth draped around the body, traditionally worn by women in South Asia) and men wear punjabi (a long shirt).

Segment 2: Indigenous New Year Celebration (Boishabi); Participants: Sudip Paul & Banachhaya Choudhury

Attire and accessories:

• Female: Indigenous dress with indigenous ornaments if possible
• Male: Anything that matches with the female portion

Script:“Boishabi”- the indigenous new year celebration, is not merely a festival; it is the glorification of traditional and cultural festivals of the indigenous communities in the hill districts of Bangladesh. Eight communities – Chakma, Marma, Tangchangya, Tripura, Mro, Khumi, Khiyang and Chak – celebrate the festival, which displays a greater amity among themselves and a similarity in their culture and traditions.

Segment 3: Eid (-ul-adaha, -ul-fitr); Participants: Arif Arman & Samia Tasnim

Attire and accessories:

Shafa apu janen :p

Script: Being a muslim majority country, Eid-ul-Fitr and Eid-Ul Adha are two major festivals of Bangladesh. Eid-ul-Fitr is the celebration of the end of the month of Ramadan, the month of fasting. On the other hand, Eid-Ul-Adha is the celebration of the spirit of sacrifice. In Eid, women wear colorful red or gold Shari and boys wear punjabi or kurta.

Segment 4: Sharodia Durga Puja; Participants: Wahida Akter & Shariful Bhuiyan

Attire and accessories:

• Female: Blue shari, best combined with silver ornaments (or something whitish) with white big flower for hair.
• Male: Blue-White combination pujabi-salwar. If we can manage dhuti, that would be even better. Dhak would be another accessory.

Script: Sharodia Durga Puja is an annual Hindu festival that is celebrated to pay homage to the goddess Durga. This festival epitomises the victory of good over evil. Everyone wears blue and white attire on this day. The word ‘Sharodia’ originates from bengali word ‘Sharat’ for autumn. The vastness of clear blue sky after monsoon and river banks dazzling with long silver ‘kash’ grass symbolizes the season, which is reflected in the blue-white combination attire of women and men.

Segment 5: Festival for new crop (Nobanno); Participants: Umme Habiba Shuma & Md. Zahidul Islam

Attire and accessories:

• Female: Green (preferably new leaf green or kola pata rong) shari worn in atpoure/traditional bengali fashion, combined with maduli, bronze ornaments. If kula is manageable then should come to stage with that.
• Male: Should dress like a farmer, come with kaste (if manageable) and a bunch of new cut crop (could be found pet stores, grains with leaves). So, white top, lungi, gamcha, maduli. To make it more authentic, no shoes if possible.

Script: Nobanno: the literal meaning of this word is “feast.” This is a Bengali harvest celebration. On this day, farmers start to harvest crops from fields. This day is usually celebrated with traditional food, dance and music in Bangladesh.

Segment 6: Spring festival (Boshonto Utsav); Participants: Ineen Sultana & Imtiaz Ahmed Avi

Attire and accessories:

• Female: Bashonti shari, floral ornaments.
• Male: matching colored Fotua and pant (pant preferably white), carrying deshi musical instruments like bashi or dotara in hand if possible.

Script: Boshonto Utsav or spring festival is celebrated to mark the first day of spring. Yellow, green and white are the colors for this day. Women wear floral ornaments to symbolize the greeneries and new blooms in nature.

Segment 7: Ending Script: Finally, despite all the differences in cultural celebrations, BANGLADESH is a land of cultural harmony where people of all faiths and cultural backgrounds celebrate together peacefully.