Diwali is a Hindu festival, and it is one of the most important events in the Hindu religious calendar. However, Hindus are not the only religious people to celebrate Diwali. Jains, some Buddhists and Sikhs also celebrate this festival.
It is also called ‘The Festival Of Lights’. This is because lights and candles are a huge part of Diwali celebrations. Diwali takes place during the darkest new moon of the year.
Diwali is characterized by the cleaning and decoration of homes, spending time with loved ones, huge displays of fireworks, and the exchange of gifts. It is a time of thanksgiving and merry-making.
Another name for Diwali is Deepavali. The word Deepa means light, and so again, this is a reference to the fact that Diwali is a festival that is all about lights.
Diwali – or Deepavali – is a time when we celebrate all of those things that light up our lives: knowledge, love, kindness, forgiveness and all things good. The way in which the lamps, candles and lanterns in Diwali celebrations conquer the darkness of the new moon is a metaphor for how all of these good things conquer the darkness of ignorance, materialism, bearing grudges and hate.
When IO managed a convenience store a few years ago, I had several Hindi employees. I learned alot from them about their religion. Diwali is a very interesting celebration.
Thank You Michael.
Nice to know about your store and working with the Hindi employees.
There are numerous festivals celebrated here and the count is much more with the Bengalees where we have a proverb, "13 festivals in 12 months". But the Dussehra and the Diwali are the big ones followed by other religious festivals and the state festivals.
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