Diwali (pronounced dih-vaa-lee) is one of the most widely celebrated festivals on the Hindu calendar, observed in late October or early November across India and the Indian diaspora by more than 1 billion people. Shukla says that Hindu and Indian American cultural organizations will manage giant Diwali festivals to showcase and preserve conventional Indian performing arts. Lakshmi is the goddess of prosperity, abundance and well-being, and a part of Diwali is dedicated to worshipping her and receiving her blessings for the coming yr. These artistic flooring decorations are made with colored powders or sand, spices, beans and lentils, and range from easy flower motifs to more intricate designs. In India, Diwali is usually noticed amongst shut household and friends, however in the Indian diaspora it’s advanced right into a neighborhood-extensive celebration of Indian culture. The holiday can be observed by Sikhs and Jains. Shukla, whose favourite is an empanada-like deal with referred to as ghughra, which her mother nonetheless ships to her from California. In the course of the ceremony, grains, sweets, flowers and spices are presented to Lakshmi in return for her blessings of health and wealth. Whereas it shares some customs and traditions (lights, gifts, overeating!) with holidays like Christmas and Hanukkah, Diwali is a Hindu celebration that dates again hundreds of years. Diwali celebrates the victory of excellent over evil and information over detrimental qualities like anger, greed and fear. In addition to celebrating these historic victories, Diwali is a time to welcome the goddess Lakshmi into the house. Is Diwali a religious holiday? How do you pronounce Diwali? In the West, Diwali lands on a special date annually because it’s based mostly on the lunar calendar. It’s conventional for brothers to offer their sisters gifts on this day. Crunchy, fried, and candy foods are popular during this vacation. What foods are eaten during Diwali? After Narkasura invades kingdom after kingdom, the individuals cry out to Lord Krishna, who descends to defeat the evil Narkasura and restore peace to Earth. The Hindu calendar is predicated on each the sun and moon (while the Gregorian calendar is simply primarily based on the sun). While traditional oil lamps known as diya are lit throughout Diwali, it’s done extra as a decoration than a religious ritual, and lights of all types are standard throughout Diwali, including strings of colorful vacation lights, sparklers and firecrackers. Why is Diwali celebrated? Since it’s called the “Festival of Lights,” it’s tempting to describe Diwali as a Hindu model of Hanukkah, the Jewish vacation that additionally falls round Christmas. While some Diwali cultural festivals are held at Hindu temples, bigger Indian communities in the U.S. The identify Diwali is derived from the Sanskrit phrase Deepavali meaning “row of lighted lamps,” which is why Diwali is commonly called the Hindu “Festival of Lights.” There are two sacred legends related to Diwali that have fun the victory of excellent over evil, and information over adverse qualities like anger, greed and concern. In India, the holiday at all times falls on the 15th of Kartik, the first month of the Hindu lunar calendar corresponding with the primary new moon of the lunar New 12 months. But the lamp-lighting aspect of Diwali is not really the identical as lighting the menorah on the eight nights of the Jewish vacation. The fifth day of Diwali is named Bhai Duj and was traditionally the day men visited their married sisters to see that they have been being handled well. A simple “Comfortable Diwali” is an applicable greeting. Some of the most notable ones embody barfi (condensed milk fudge), chivda (a spiced Bombay snack combine), samosas, and ghughra (pastries filled with sugar, coconut, cardamon, saffron, nuts and raisins), though many different delicious foods are consumed throughout the celebrations. In that approach, it is not in contrast to the month(s)-lengthy countdown to Christmas. That said, Diwali is the most important buying season of the year, with big holiday sales on clothes and housewares at stores both in India and in larger Indian American communities like Jackson Heights, New York, and San Jose, California. In India, the vacation all the time falls on the 15th of Kartik, the primary month of the Hindu lunar calendar. Yes, it is an essential religious festival for Hindus, however can be noticed by Jains and Sikhs. Why does the date of Diwali change? Diwali is pronounced phonetically as dee-vaa-lee. The first legend, native to Northern India, is the story of Rama, a beloved prince who was banished from his kingdom alongside together with his spouse Sita by a jealous stepmother (it is at all times the stepmother). Suhag Shukla, executive director of the Hindu American Foundation, grew up in the United States and remembers the mixture of excitement and dread that accompanied every Diwali season. The second legend, higher identified in Southern India, entails Narkasura, the son of Mother Earth, who befriends a demon and becomes evil. What’s the proper greeting for Diwali? There are two sacred legends associated with Diwali that rejoice this: the story of Rama (extra fashionable in Northern India) and the story of Narkasura, the son of Mom Earth (common in Southern India). When the couple finally returned triumphantly to their kingdom, the individuals celebrated by lighting rows of earthen oil lamps. Exchanging small gifts while visiting family and mates is part of the Diwali tradition, but Lakshmi is not Santa Claus, insists Shukla, and Indian youngsters don’t get up on Diwali morning to a pile of gifts. Shukla, who as a kid wasn’t a fan of the pre-Diwali traditional of cleaning the home from high to backside to welcome Lakshmi. And in India, Muslims and different non-Hindus could have a good time Diwali, simply as non-Christians in the U.S. Throughout his 14-year exile, Rama battled a demon king who kidnapped Sita. Since Diwali coincides with a brand new fiscal year in lots of parts of India, business house owners will ask the goddess to bless their ledgers for a profitable new year. U.Ok. now hold city-vast Diwali festivals complete with food, free concerts and fireworks. The date corresponds with the primary new moon of the lunar New 12 months, a normally darkish evening that is filled with light because the world celebrates Diwali. However Shukla will never forget the pleasure her dad and mom felt in preserving the culinary and cultural traditions of their residence state of Gujarat, or the warm feelings of household and community when Diwali finally arrived. The central ritual of Diwali is the Lakshmi Puja, a prayer offering made to the goddess Lakshmi on a small dwelling altar. And Shukla admits that even Hindus generally use Hanukkah as a useful start line for a conversation about Diwali. Whereas Diwali itself is a 5-day celebration – the third day is the climax – the anticipation and run-as much as Diwali can final a full month. And while she adored all the special Diwali snacks and sweets, she did not understand why the household had to start out cooking weeks before the vacation began. Another beloved Diwali tradition is creating a colorfully patterned rangoli to welcome visitors into your house. In India, Muslims and other non-Hindus may have a good time Diwali, simply as non-Christians in North America typically rejoice Christmas. The dates of Diwali change every year, although the 5 day festival usually falls between late October and early November.