Diwali is the Hindu festival of lights and this year it was celebrated on October 31. About 1 billion Hindus worldwide will celebrate this festival as it is one of the biggest Hindu festivals. This holiday is celebrated by many worldwide, but yet many locally haven’t even heard of it.
To celebrate the festival you light diyas (oil lamps) and pray to the Hindu goddess of light, Lakshmi. The holiday represents the symbolic victory of light over darkness, knowledge over ignorance, and good over evil.
Diwali celebrates the return of Prince Rama and his wife, Sita. It is said that Sita is the reincarnation of the goddess Lakshmi who is the goddess of light and prosperity according to Hindu America Foundation’s Diwali toolkit. To help guide them home Hindus light diyas along pathways.
Diwali is celebrated differently by people all over the world. Krisha Patel, an Monroe-Woodbury student celebrates Diwali by decorating her house, going to mandir (church/temple), and praying. Student Satya Kublall celebrates Diwali by cleaning her house, celebrating with family, and praying. In India, people celebrate it a lot more than local families and their celebrations last for 5 days.
When is Diwali celebrated? Like many Hindu holidays, Diwali is synchronized with the lunar calendar so the actual date varies from year to year, says the Hindu American Fo
undation. Diwali typically falls between October and November. This year it was on October 31 and next year it’s on October 20.
Satya said, “I think my favorite part of Diwali is lighting the diyas.”
Taij Moteelall, a Hindu in the M-W community said, “my favorite part is lighting the diyas and praying to mother Lakshmi.”
Anjali Deola said, a “my favorite part is lighting the diyas and not eating meat.”
On Diwali, people light diyas and put them around the house. They are said to guide mother Lakshmi into your house and in the story they were used to guide Rama and Sita home according to Hindu American Foundation. The bright light given off from the diya also symbolizes enlightenment, prosperity, knowledge, and wisdom.
Krisha also shared that her favorite part of Diwali is the fireworks. Diwali is a really big holiday and fireworks are often displayed during grand celebrations. Another way it is celebrated is the annual Diwali motorcade in Queens, NY. The motorcade is organized by Indo-Caribbean people and features lots of dancers, singers, tents, people, performances, businesses, and much more. It is packed with Hindu culture.
For Diwali, Hindus fast which means to not eat meat, eggs or any product made from animals. This is because Hindus believe every living thing matters and they want to honor their beliefs before praying to the gods and ask for blessings.
