Last week one of the biggest festivals in India took place: Diwali! Diwali is also known as the festival of lights, and it definitely lives up to its name. Spending time with friends and family is a large part of Diwali. Since I don’t have family here in India, my friend Hema invited me to come celebrate Diwali with her family in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.
Diwali is one of the most important Hindu holidays. It is celebrated throughout India, normally in late October or early November. This festival lasts five days, with the third day being the most important. Diwali is a celebration of many different things, but mostly it celebrates the victory of good over evil, knowledge over ignorance and light over darkness. The Hindu goddess Lakshmi is worshipped during this festival. She is the goddess of wealth and prosperity.
Diwali is celebrated with lots and lots of lights! Families will decorate their houses with strings of lights and diyas, which are candles in small bowls. Hema’s family put up lots of lights on the front of their house for Diwali. They even put lights inside their house to make it extra festive! Another way people celebrate Diwali is with fireworks. Families will light off big and small fireworks (or ‘crackers’ in India) on all nights of Diwali, but especially the third night. The city glows from the light of fireworks!
