Celebrating Diwali, The Indian Festival of Lights
/Diwali, the Festival of Lights happens in early November for 2021 and lasts for five days.
It moves each year that is to allow for a moonless night, which is all the better to have the displays of lights and fireworks be seen.
This autumnal harvest festival includes several cultural stories and spans various groups including Hindu, Sikh and Jain.
We’ll go through some details below:
How is it celebrated?
This five-day festival is observed on the 15th day of the 8th month (the month of Kartik) in India's calendar.
For 2021’s Gregorian calendar, it starts on Tuesday, November 2nd and concludes on Saturday, November 6th. Each day brings a different celebration, outlined below:
Day One, November 2nd
Cleaning your home, and buying gold or kitchen utensils to help bring good fortune.
Day Two, November 3rd
Decorating your home with creative designs called rangoli (made out of coloured powder or sand).
Day Three, November 4th
This is the main day of the festival! Feasts, fireworks and Lakshmi are all a part of this day.
Day Four, November 5th
The first day of the new year, with visiting friends and relatives to exchange gifts and best wishes.
Day Five, November 6th
Brothers visit married sisters, who welcome them with a lavish meal and love.
Image via Wikipedia
Who is Lakshmi?
Lakshmi is the Hindu goddess of prosperity. It’s believed that she roams the earth on this day and blesses people with wealth and happiness. That’s why bright colourful decorations, lights, and new clothes are a part of the celebrations!
Why fireworks?
Often called “crackers” (for firecrackers) this is a recent part of the celebrations as they became more available to everyone and not just the wealthy. Light is a common theme across all of the stories!
How does Diwali celebrate across religions?
There are many stories of freedom and learning that are a part of the celebrations. Sikhs celebrate Diwali as the occasion on which their teacher Guru Hargobind Ji was released from the captivity of Mughal ruler Jahangir in Gwalior along with several Hindu kings. The most popular tradition behind Diwali dictates that it marks the day on which the Hindu deity Lord Ram returned to his home city of Ayodhya after vanquishing the demon king Ravana. According to mythology, lights were lit all across the country to celebrate his return to rule. Another popular belief that signifies the occasion of Diwali for Jainism, India’s sixth largest religion, is that this is the day on which the last of the 24 Thirthankaras (Great Teachers), Lord Mahavira attained ‘Nirvana’.
