Calcutta, Oct. 1: If mobile service providers filtered the word “happy”, how many messages would get through? For, since the advent of the SMS, every occasion seems to have turned happy.

It started with greetings cards. “Happy Holi” and “Happy Diwali” cards on gift shop shelves attracted the eye — and the raised eyebrow — when they first appeared on gift shop shelves a decade ago.

Then came the SMS-er. He lurks and shoots at the hint of an occasion. For the Puja, it began with Mahalaya. The message was, of course, “Happy Mahalaya”, though the invocation to the Goddess Durga to descend on earth within seven days would have earlier called for a beautiful, though more sombre, mood of anticipation and quiet joy. Which is somehow not what the SMS-er means by “Happy”. His is more the happiness evoked by mobile phone graphics. During the Pujas, they are usually the Devi trinayan, but a puppy jumping is also not unheard of.

Then the five days of the Puja arrive. The series of “Happy” messages starts on Sashthi morning, culminating on Dashami. The SMS-er doesn’t wait for the Devi’s bisarjan, when Bijoya officially starts. From Dashami morning, the inbox collapses with “Happy Bijoyas”. One SMS-er this year covered the entire silly season at one go: “Happy Mahalaya and Happy Bijoya!”

It doesn’t matter, perhaps, that Dashami is supposed to be a rather sad occasion, when the Devi, also the daughter of the household, is leaving earth for one full year. Maybe that’s why “Shubho” was attached to it before.

Similarly, “Id Mubarak” has become “Happy Id”.

But they are still better than the “Happy Good Friday” wish. Believers still observe that day as the anniversary of Christ’s crucifixion.

What did we do with our excess happiness before we learnt to SMS? What do we do with such happiness? And what happens to the old “Happy birthday” and “Happy New Year” wishes — do we add another “happy” word to them?