What Is Diwali? (And How to Celebrate It)

Diwali, a five-day-long “festival of lights” that celebrates the triumph of bully implicit evil, began today. The vacation emerged from the Hindu religion, but has go a cultural lawsuit astir the world. And who couldn’t usage a small triumph implicit evil?

In Hindu culture, the vacation comes from the communicative of Rama and Sita’s decision implicit the evil demon King Ravana. Check retired the video beneath for the full tale.

How to observe Diwali

As writer and advisor Anjula Devi says, “It’s precise important conscionable earlier Diwali that the location is cleaned. It has to beryllium spotless. This is done truthful that you tin expanse retired immoderate clutter. It is besides a clip for radical to bespeak and escaped their hearts of thing which has been troubling them oregon casting a shadiness implicit their lives.”

Diwali is besides a clip to get escaped of the aged and usher successful the new. In the days starring up to the festival of lights, celebrants pray to Laksmi, the goddess of prosperity and wide wealth.

Traditionally during this clip homes are decorated with vibrant colorful Rangoli. Rangoli are intricate patterns drawn connected the level with flowers, sand, atom and flour. You could make your mentation of Rangoli with colorful soil and paper.

Holidays wouldn’t beryllium the aforesaid without desserts, and Diwali is nary different. Times of India has a list of treats traditionally eaten connected the holiday, specified arsenic Gulab Jamun, a dessert made with roseate water, sugar, beverage pulverization and cardamom.

The main lawsuit of Diwali is the astir exciting. Celebrated connected the 3rd time and the darkest nighttime of the year, the caller moon. The rituals see fireworks to symbolize the return of Rama and Sita and Lakshmana to the Kingdom of Ayodha. The astir communal tradition—lighting “Diyas,” oregon clay pots with lipid and fabric wicks, is amazing.

This communicative was primitively published successful November 2020 and was updated connected November 4, 2021 to conscionable Lifehacker benignant guidelines.