Bhubaneswar: August 15 in India is special for everyone, be it a child or an octogenarian. It is the day of patriotism and one cannot help but be nostalgic of this very day every year. Odisha Sun Times opens a box of memories for you to relive:

  1. Parade

Pic courtesy: www.thehindu.com Pic courtesy: www.thehindu.com

Who can forget those full dress rehearsals and the parade, sometimes also during a drizzle prior to August 15? The tiring practice of synchronizing arm and foot movement to the beats of the band for the march past and getting that perfect salute is so typical of Independence Day celebrations. Top that with vibrant song-and-dance sequences and long speeches from the dignitaries on the dais that lulled many into a nap.

2. Laddoos

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No Independence Day celebration in school is complete without the distribution of laddoos. Some willingly give up half their share to their best buddy while others beg for one extra piece. But there was something delicious about that one single laddoo given at school after the parade.

3. Flags

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Have you ever noticed that  we suddenly begin to notice the tricolour everywhere? From the tiny fluttering flags flanking both sides of an auto-rickshaw to the huge ones billowing in the wind atop government buildings? Many a time we buy a couple of flags impulsively, just because of the patriotic fervour.

4. Songs and movies

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When August 15 nears, radio stations, telly music channels and even personal music playlists tend to include deshbhakti tracks. Movie channels on television do reruns of new and old Bollywood and regional nationalist and war drama flicks for the audience in the honour of India's independence. What better way to celebrate Independence Day holiday with your family, a good movie and some home-made snacks?

5. Sense of patriotism

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That little patriot in us swells within and prides itself every year around this time. We tend to brush our history, read up on several Independence Day articles and flip through photographs in newspapers, magazines and social media. We remember the sacrifices that was made to achieve freedom, the battles, the partition, the martyrs and the price we paid for this Independence Day.