The 150th anniversary of the foundation of my high school, Madarsa-e Aliya, in Hyderabad, was celebrated  with some fanfare, but it was mostly speeches by politicians or the old, disappearing batches of the ‘60s and ‘70s. The oldsters were all over the place in the media, dressed in their best suits and sherwanis. I doubt if any “cultural program” followed, as reported in the social and the real media. 

The idea of celebration, to me, means shared happiness. It certainly can be shared more entertainingly as in this video of a bunch of very ordinary people — the Monroe County, PA, Democrats — celebrating ourselves at a party fundraiser in February 2020, the month of Mardi Gras parade of people in costumes marching through the streets of New Orleans, LA. The costumes show great creativity about things important to people. In this video you can see an imitator of Thomas Jefferson, the main author of the U.S. Constitution that guarantees equality and freedom to pursue happiness, which, individuals are free to define themselves as long as you do not interfere with other people’s freedoms.

Just contrast this with Aliya’s 150th celebration.