One of the things that makes Singapore interesting is how many different cultures are represented here. Singapore has four official languages and people celebrate holidays from several different religions. For example, Chinese New Year, Hari Raya, Christmas, and Deepavali are all public holidays! Since Deepavali was celebrated recently, I thought it would be a great opportunity to tell you a little more about it and how it's celebrated here in Singapore.
Deepavali, also called Diwali, is known as the Festival of Lights. During the holiday, Hindu families often clean their homes, put up decorations and wear new or traditional clothes. Some families make colorful patterns called rangoli using colored powder, rice or flower petals. People also visit temples, spend time with relatives and prepare special foods and sweets. In Singapore, the neighborhood of Little India gets especially busy around this time, with festive markets and streets covered in decorations.
