🎉 Hacktoberfest & Durga Puja: A Bengali's October of Celebration 🌸

#devchallenge #hacktoberfestchallenge #hacktoberfest #opensource

This is a submission for the [2024 Hacktoberfest Writing Challenge](https://dev.to/challenges/hacktoberfest): Contributor Experience

October is my favorite month of the year, and being a Bengali, it’s easy to see why! 🥳 It’s Durga Puja time — the most awaited festival filled with joy, community, and traditions. But now, October brings me another reason to celebrate — Hacktoberfest! 🎊 For me, Hacktoberfest is the festival of open-source, a time when tech enthusiasts like me come together to make a difference.

🎯 Why I Participated

Having joined Hacktoberfest back in 2023, this annual event has become something I eagerly look forward to. It's not just about contributing code but about being part of a global movement! 🌍 Participating allows me to sharpen my skills, give back to the projects I love, and collaborate with talented people from around the world.

💻 Projects I Worked On

In 2024, I completed all four PRs, and I couldn’t be prouder! Here’s a glimpse of what I worked on:

React Projects ⚛️

I’m a big fan of React, and this year I wanted to dive even deeper. I contributed to a variety of projects, adding features, squashing bugs, and improving the UI. It was great knowing that my contributions made some user interfaces faster and more accessible.
Docker Contributions 🐳

As a DevOps enthusiast, Docker has been my go-to tool for managing containers. This year, I focused on optimizing Docker images, enhancing CI/CD workflows, and polishing up Docker-related documentation. It was particularly satisfying to contribute to projects where I could apply both my coding and DevOps expertise.

💡 What I Learned

Every year, Hacktoberfest teaches me something new, and this year was no exception. Here are a few key takeaways:

React Performance: I learned several techniques to optimize React components for better performance, which is crucial for building scalable front-end applications.
Docker Efficiency: My contributions in Docker led me to discover ways to reduce image sizes and improve build speeds — essential skills in DevOps.
Collaboration: Open-source is all about community, and the maintainers I interacted with were incredibly helpful. I improved my communication and collaboration skills by discussing issues, reviewing code, and brainstorming solutions with contributors from around the world. 🌐

🧡 October: A Month of Festivals

For me, October is not just about Durga Puja, but also about Hacktoberfest! The sense of community, excitement, and joy that both bring into my life is unmatched. Just as I eagerly await the beautiful idol of Goddess Durga each year, I now look forward to my contributions being part of a much larger picture in the world of open source. 🚀

🌟 Final Thoughts

Hacktoberfest 2024 was a blast! 🎉 Completing all four PRs this year, especially in React and Docker, gave me a deep sense of accomplishment. Whether it's adding a new feature or improving documentation, every contribution is a small but meaningful step in the open-source journey. 👏

As October comes to an end, I can’t help but look forward to Hacktoberfest 2025. I can’t wait to dive back into the open-source world and make an even bigger impact. Until then, here’s to continuous learning and building — for both Durga Puja and Hacktoberfest! 🛠️🙏