Diwali is the most important festival of the year in India – and especially for Hindus.
It is celebrated across religions by more than a billion people in the world's most populous nation and abroad. For five days, people participate in festive gatherings, fireworks displays, feasts and prayers.
The name Diwali is derived from the word “Deepavali,” which means “row of lights.” Celebrants light rows of traditional kerosene lamps outside their homes to symbolize the victory of light over darkness and knowledge over ignorance.
When is Diwali?
The festival dates are based on the Hindu lunar calendar, usually falling in late October or early November.
This year, this holiday is celebrated on Oct. 31 and Nov. 1. In the US, Diwali falls on Halloween this year, prompting several #Diwaloween memories on social media where some celebrants are seen flashing dias on their photos. scary clothes or giving laddoos to tricksters.
While Diwali is a major religious festival for Hindus, it is also observed by Sikhs, Jains and Buddhists. The story of the origin of Diwali varies from place to place. All these stories have one underlying theme – the triumph of good over evil.
In southern India, Diwali celebrates Lord Krishna's victory over the demon Naraka who is said to have imprisoned women and tortured his subjects. In northern India, Diwali honors the triumphant return of Lord Rama, his wife Sita, and their brother Lakshmana, from their 14-year exile in the forest.
How is Diwali celebrated?
The festival brings many unique traditions, which also vary by region. Common to all festivals are lights, fireworks, feasting, new clothes and praying.
—In southern India, many have a warm oil bath early in the morning that symbolizes bathing in the holy Ganges River as a way of purifying themselves physically and spiritually.
-In the north, worshiping the goddess Lakshmi, who symbolizes wealth and prosperity, is common.
Gambling is a popular tradition due to the belief that anyone who gambles on the night of Diwali will be successful for the rest of the year. Many people buy gold on the first day of Diwali, known as Dhanteras — an act they believe will bring them good luck.
Setting off fireworks is a popular tradition, as is the exchange of sweets and gifts between friends and family. Diwali celebrations often include rangoli, which are geometric, floral patterns drawn on the floor using colorful powders. This year, several states in northern India, including the capital New Delhi, implemented partial or complete bans on fireworks to combat rising pollution levels during Diwali.
What are Diwali stories from other religions?
Buddhists, Jains and Sikhs have their own Diwali stories:
-Jains consider Diwali as the day King Mahavira, the last of the great teachers, attained nirvana, which is liberation from the cycle of birth, death and rebirth.
-Sikhs celebrate Bandi Chhor Divas – the day that overlaps with Diwali – to commemorate the release of Guru Hargobind, a revered figure in the faith, who had been imprisoned for 12 years by the Mughal emperor Jahangir.
—Buddhists keep the day as one when the Hindu Emperor Ashoka, who ruled in the third century BC, converted to Buddhism.
New in 2024: Diwali Barbie
This year, Mattel released its “Barbie Signature Diwali Doll” by designer Anita Dongre who wrote on Instagram that her Barbie represents “modern fashion forward women who wear India on her sleeve with pride.
Unlike her original iteration in 1996 who wore a bright red sari or the 2012 avatar that was packaged with a “monkey friend,” Diwali Barbie is dressed in fashion in a lehnga, an embroidered ankle-length skirt with motifs from the Dongre region. of Rajasthan, cropped blouse and vest.
The doll, priced at $40, sold out on the first day on Mattel's website.
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