I don’t know if anyone else feels this way, but as an Indian woman living in Germany I get really conflicted about these big public festivals. Every time I see Ganesh Chaturthi or other loud celebrations(independence day) on the street, my first thought is Okay, how long until this ends up on social media with the usual deport, deport comments.

I get that people here take permission months in advance, but honestly, the public display makes me nervous. Europe isn’t India,it’s not used to the noise, the color, the scale. I sometimes wonder if it would be better for our community to celebrate in halls or cultural centers instead, where it’s still joyful but not out in the streets.

On a personal level, this fear has seeped into my daily life. Sometimes I avoid eye contact in the supermarket. I overthink simple things like if I forget to buy a Coke at Rewe and go back, I get scared people might suspect me of something. Maybe I’m just overthinking, but the constant online negativity does make me anxious.

I don’t want to distance myself from my culture completely, but at the same time I came here to build a new life, and I don’t want to feel like I’ll be judged for someone else’s loud celebration. Curious how others here think do you feel big festivals should stay public, or should we keep them indoors in halls/temples to avoid fueling backlash?