Every Republic Day is an opportunity for us to contemplate, amid the frankly show-offy roar of our newest fighter aircraft, some of the
foundational beliefs of this country. Like that Republic Day must be a
dry day. The founders of our great nation reasoned that if they could
find a way to take the joy out of a day off, they had no excuse not to.
So, while America celebrates the Fourth of July with as much beer as it
is humanly possible to consume, India celebrates Republic Day (and Independence Day and Gandhi Jayanti and all the other good one-off holidays) with as much beer as it is humanly possible to consume,
bought the day before, because we are not idiots.
Another foundational belief is that while we all love the motorcycle-
borne daredevils, we must not ask too very much of the endless
procession of floats that crawl along the grand avenues of the beating
heart of the Republic. They aren’t supposed to be creative and exciting.
Their only task is to nourish the soul of India with patriotic goodness.
Each of those floats might be boring as oatmeal, but it’s loaded with moral fibre. Watch and learn, kids!

http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/happy-republic-day/499968/