For 75-year-old Kalyani Amma from Thrissur in Keralam, Onam means far more than being surrounded by grandchildren, family get-togethers and the homecoming of her loved ones each festival season.

“We have also become custodians of tradition, teaching younger family members how to prepare traditional dishes, arrange the feast and observe customs. I do not want our traditions to disappear with our generation. When my grandchildren ask me how a particular dish is made or why we follow a certain custom, I am glad to explain it,” she says.

Across Keralam, Onam has become an evolving cultural bridge between generations. While elders preserve tradition by cooking the full sadya feast from scratch and keeping rituals alive, millennials handle the modern logistics of organising family gatherings, and Gen Z brings fresh energy to the festivities through updated fashion, inclusive values and social media.

For the older generation, Onam remains deeply rooted in rituals, memories and family practices passed down through the years. V. Gopikrishnan, 64, from Iritty, recalls the nostalgia the festival evokes. “When I was young, Onam was a simple celebration, but the happiness came from being together. Things have changed today, but seeing our children and grandchildren celebrate with us brings back those memories,” he says.

For Gen Z, Onam is an opportunity to reinterpret tradition rather than abandon it. “For my generation, Onam is both traditional and contemporary. We love wearing traditional outfits, but we also experiment with styling and share them on social media,” says Archana Babu, a student from Kottayam.

Anand Jose, a 22-year-old college student from Alakode in Kannur, agrees. “I do not think young people are rejecting tradition. We are just finding our own way of connecting with it,” he says.

For millennials, Onam carries a somewhat different meaning. Caught up in busy working lives, they see it as a rare chance to reconnect with parents, siblings and extended family, reviving memories of childhood celebrations, school Onam programmes and traditional games.

“A lot of planning goes into celebrating Onam as a family coordinating everyone’s schedules, arranging travel, buying groceries and organising the sadya. Millennials have become the link between their parents’ traditions and their children’s generation,” says Maya Mohan, 34, a college lecturer from Peravoor, Kannur.

“Onam is a bridge between the childhood we remember and the family life we are trying to preserve today. We may celebrate it differently from our parents, but bringing everyone home and sitting together still gives the festival its meaning,” says Sneha Mohan, 33, a bank accountant from Idukki.

For Vidya Prem and Aswathy Vimal from Kozhikode, the festival is above all a chance for family, cousins and friends to come together. “Onam is a celebration of happiness, where everyone gathers as one and celebrates,” they say in unison.

Pookkalam, the soul of Onam

At its heart, the soul of Onam lies in laying the pookkalam with freshly plucked flowers and preparing the sadya with its many traditional dishes.

“These traditions make Onam complete,” says K.T. Narayani, 72, a grandmother from Alappuzha. “When we were children, we would spend the day playing traditional games from tug-of-war, Thiruvathira and swinging with cousins and neighbours. It felt more special because the whole family and community came together to celebrate,” she recollects.

(The writer is an intern with The Hindu)