chhathh and our culture

Just went out of my room to go to the bathroom and heard chhathh songs floating in the air and pathakas being cracked. Its the final day of the festival when people offer prayers to sun god at dawn. I was flooded with the memories of my childhood when I used to visit my maternal grandparents' place or my aunt's place during chhathh. We used to go to the ghats on this morning and people would go knee deep in chilling water and pray for their sons/daughters to the sun god. pathake phodo , prasad khao...Man those were the days.
these are small bits of happiness which bind me to my place and these are why I intend to spend my life in India, close to where I belong.