We wish a ‘Happy Diwali’ to our Hindu, Sikh and Jain communities.
In school, we will be celebrating on Monday and will have some mindful Rangoli colouring sessions in the library to compliment the display board put up by Mrs Rudolph and the Pupil Librarians.
Diwali (also called Dipawali) is the Indian festival of lights, usually lasting five days and celebrated during the Hindu Lunisolar month Kartika. One of the most popular festivals of Hinduism, Diwali symbolizes the spiritual “victory of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance”.
The word Diwali means ‘rows of lighted lamps’. Diwali is known as the ‘festival of lights’ because houses, shops and public places are decorated with small oil lamps called ‘diyas’.
When is Diwali?
Diwali always falls some time between October and November, but the exact date varies each year as the Hindu calendar is based on the Moon. This year it is 12th November 2023.
How is Diwali celebrated?
For many people this five day festival honours Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth. Lamps are lit and windows and doors are left open to help Lakshmi find her way into people’s homes.
Other ways that Hindus celebrate the festival include:
- Spring-cleaning the home
- Wearing new clothes
- Exchanging gifts (often sweets and dried fruits) and preparing festive meals
- Decorating buildings with fancy lights
- Huge fireworks displays
Observances: Diya and lighting, home decoration, shopping, fireworks, puja (prayers), gifts, feast, and sweets.
Featured in religions: Hinduism, Sikhism, Jainism, Newar Buddhism
During Diwali, people also make patterns called rangoli from colourful materials like powders and pastes: https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/topics/zh86n39/articles/zjpp92p
