Biggest family! Biggest party!!

If you ask me how many members are in my family, I will answer that Mom, Dad, two sisters and one brother. Sounds like an ideal family in the pot of Bangladesh! But my family is not that much small. We are a family of above 50 members and the number is increasing! We all are mentally attached and feel proud of being a part of the big family. Actually, I am from an extended family with the oldest person grandmother, six uncles and their wives, three aunts and their husbands, and finally lots of cousins including who are waiting to breathe in the air of earth after some days or months. As a result, whenever we have a get together in our home, it looks like a festival! People of different ages and occupations roaming, eating, gossiping, cooking, laughing, crying, dancing or even quarreling are seen on the big yard of my home! We do everything together and this expresses the unity and bond of our family.
So, this is the description of my family and now I would like to talk about a get together in my home which will show you the general image of my family party.
At Eid vacation, the families of my three uncles and two aunts join with the rest of the family living in my hometown and we all cousins also go back from our educational institutes or job places. Each entry of a person or a family doubles our happiness. Usually, after Eid day we have get together with not only our family members but also all our relatives. This is the time of the year when everyone is requested to come home despite all business and have a wonderful time with the family. We all believe that saying with family is staying in the heaven. Whatever, as the Eid day passes with lots of business, we choose the next day for having a meal as well as a great time with all. As the party is big, everyone needs to do something. Though the adults are quiet experts to manage all tasks, specially cooking and serving, but we kids (grown up and immature!) try to help them as much as we can.
At first, at morning uncles go to the market or shops to buy everything for cooking all dishes at the morning. The lists of ingredients are made by mothers and aunts and often fathers miss one thing or another from the list. However, at the mean time, mothers prepare the breakfast, feed their children and get ready to jump in their work. They cut and blend all kind of spices including onions, garlic and red and green chilies for cooking. Fathers come back with vegetables, different kind of fishes and meats, and other things. This is the important job done by the male members, later they sit and gossip or go outside with friends. They rarely cook. On the other hand, cooking is done by mothers. My grandmother orders my moms and aunts to do different work. For example, “Boro bou(elder daughter-in -law), you cook the chicken, Urmy’r Ma( My mom) cut all ginger and onions, Kohinur,(My aunt) wash the Polao rice, Kalpana,(aunt) cut the beef, Sharmin, cook the dal, Munni, your vegetables are special with small fish, who will cook the fish? Can you do it Pampa’r ma(mther of pampa, my cousin)? O Runu, cook rice as soon as possible. It is almost 1, the kids will ask for food.” With her guidance all start working at the kitchen. Often, my father expresses the desire for coking the beef. All help him by not only labour but also tasting that it is cooked or not! Children are playing, moms are gossiping, fathers are reading newspaper or watching TV, we are talking about films an music…everything seems so familiar that it is a scene of everyday life. Sounds of laughter hit the ear and a wave of happiness rushes through our bodies. Really, it is the nicest part of having a big family. Finally, the time comes sitting for the lunch. Tables and chairs are arranged on the big yard, though it is not possible to sit all together. However, guests sit first. Both mothers and fathers serve them then the kids who create a great tension at meal time. They also enjoy their meal a lot as it’s not a meal for them it is a fun time too. Gradually, male members, females and we sit down. When we sit for eating, it is not the great concern that what is severed or the items are favorite. We feel the strength of unity, the divinity of home, and the happiness of having meal together. All the things make all the dishes super delicious. There are several dishes and we are full before tasting all the dishes such as vegetables with small fish, chicken roast, beef masala, fish fry, dal, oily rice and plain rice, curd, soft drinks and at last paan-supari (betel nut and betel). We ask each other who cok which one and praise a lot with lots of laughter and irony. Thus , having a meal together strengths our bond, we fell responsible for any single thing related to our family, we make promises in our heart that we will stay together despite how much difficulties we face in our life.