How to Celebrate Diwali: 10 Steps (with Pictures)

2024 Author: Samantha Chapman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 09:13

The Diwali festival lasts for five days, celebrates the triumph of good over evil and light over darkness and is celebrated every year around the period between mid-October and mid-November in many countries: India, Singapore, Malaysia, Nepal and at the large Indian communities in Canada, Great Britain and New Zealand. In fact, this celebration, for Hindus, has the same value as Christmas for Christians. However, the holiday is also foreseen by Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism.

Steps

Step 1. A synonym of the word "Diwali" is "Deepavali" ("deep" means "light" or "lamp", while "avali" means "row")

This "succession of lights" is represented by the lamps that are placed almost everywhere on the occasion of the party. The days of celebration vary between three and five (the duration depends on the origin of the person celebrating and the related traditions):

• Dhanatrayodashi or Dhanteras. The thirteenth day from Poornima (full moon). This is the first day of celebration. "Dhan" means "well-being" and "teras" means "thirteenth day". Lakshmi, the Goddess of Wellness, is celebrated. In some places in India, lamps are also lit for Yama, the God of Death.
• Chhoti Diwali or Narak Chaturdashi. The fourteenth day. According to Hindus, this date coincides with Krishna's destruction of the demon Narakasur, freeing the world from terror. This day is often celebrated by detonating firecrackers.
• Diwali or Lakshmi Puja or Lakshmipujan. The day of the new moon which marks the beginning of Ashvin's two dark weeks. This is the real day of celebration, and is therefore the most significant. If the house has not yet been cleaned, this will need to be done at dawn or in the morning to welcome Lakshmi. There is also an exchange of sweets and gifts to strengthen the bonds between family and friends. In the evening, firecrackers are set off.
• Balipratipada or Padiwa or Goverdhan Puja or Varshapratipada. On the first day of Kartik's two bright weeks, when Krishna raised the Govardhan Parvat to protect the Gokul from Indra's wrath and King Vikramaditya was crowned.
• Bhai Dooj or Bhaiya Dooj. The fifth and last day of the Diwali festival. The brothers and sisters renew their affection; the sisters put the sacred red tilak on the foreheads of the brothers and pray for their life, while the brothers bless the sisters and give them gifts.
• Not all festivities include the thirteenth day and the separate sacred feasts of Vasubaras and Bhaubij precede and follow the celebration of Diwali, respectively.

Step 2. Buy the utensils and ornaments for the party on the first day of Diwali and prepare everything

• Clean the house and take care of your affairs carefully before the dawn of Diwali or Dhanteras day. Do your laundry, tidy up the rooms and throw away any items you don't use from both your home and workplace. It is a kind of spring cleaning, which will allow you to get rid of unnecessary things that contaminate the environment in which you live.

  

• Draw small footprints using rice flour and vermilion powder throughout your home, to indicate the expectation of the goddess.

• The entrance to the home or workplace should be decorated with traditional Rangoli motifs, which include bells, flower garlands, wall drapes, mirrors, LED lights, etc. It is a joyful way of welcoming the Goddess of Wellbeing and Prosperity. Rangoli ornaments can be found on the web. Here are some ideas:

  • Example # 1:

    

  • Example # 2:

    

  • Example # 3:

    

  • Example # 4:

    

• Try different types of Rangoli; some are handmade and there are countless ways to arrange them, so space for creativity:

  • Composition # 1:

    

  • Composition # 2:

    

  • Composition # 3:

    

  

  Step 3. Turn on the lamps every night during the holiday

  When it gets dark, light some small lamps (called “diya”) and place them in different places in the house. Also add candles. Lamps and candles symbolize inner knowledge and light, bring peace and fight against darkness and ignorance.

  

  Step 4. Blast firecrackers and fireworks to ward off evil

  Usually, large quantities are blown up on actual Diwali day (the third).

  • Use them with caution.
  • Keep pets and children away from explosions.

  Step 5. Put on new clothes and jewelry on the second and third days

  If you are a woman, get a sari, while men should wear kurthas.

  

  Step 6. Bake sweets and snacks you will be giving away

  Here are some culinary ideas:

  • Rangoli.
  • Burfi.
  • Kulfi.
  • Pongal.
  • Rasgulla.
  • Jalebi.
  • Gajar ka Halwa.

  • Opt for vegetarian dishes: Diwali, for many Indians, is a meatless party. Especially opt for spiced cauliflower and potatoes. There are no special dishes, so you can choose what you like best, but include lots of sweets.

    

  

  Step 7. Perform Laskshmi Pooja on Diwali (third) day to ask for the blessing from the Goddess of Wellbeing

  This elaborate ritual involves the use of grains, leaves, coins and religious icons. During the ceremony, you can invoke the goddess by reciting Vedic mantras or thinking of her as she receives gold coins, with two elephants at her sides, and chanting her name. The aarti is done calmly and an atmosphere of peace should accompany the entire function. You will find detailed instructions at

  

  Step 8. Games are key this holiday:

  cards (especially rummy), mime, broom dancing, musical chairs, treasure hunt, hide and seek, etc. Adults can play too!

  It's okay to bet some money, but don't overdo it

  Step 9. Share the love you feel for your brothers and sisters, especially on the last day of the celebration

  Cook and pray for them and pack gifts.

  

  Step 10. If you happen to be in a country during the Diwali celebration, join in the festivities, even if you don't belong to any of the religions we have listed

  For example, in New Zealand, Wellington, Auckland and other cities host parties welcoming everyone.

  • Attend Diwali public concerts, parties, celebratory events and banquets.
  • Wish everyone a happy and prosperous Diwali.

  Advice

  • The Diwali festival indicates the renewal of life and a new beginning, even from a professional point of view. And that is why starting a business during this time is considered a good omen.
  • Two curiosities. In 1999, with a tilak on his forehead, Pope John Paul II celebrated a special Eucharist in an Indian church, on an altar decorated with Diwali lamps, and his speech referred to the religion's embrace of this festival of light. catholic. US Senate Resolution 299 recognized the "religious and historical significance of Diwali" on November 14, 2007.
  • There are various transliterations of the name of the holiday: Diwali, Divali, Devali, Deepavali. The variations depend on the place where it is celebrated and the origin of the organizers. In most English-speaking countries where Hindus and other members of the listed religions reside, it is almost always called Diwali.
  • What's behind the gambling tradition on Diwali? The goddess Parvati played dice with her husband Shiva and declared that anyone who played on Diwali evening would enjoy a prosperous year.

  • Here is some historical information on the reason for the Diwali celebration:

    • In Northern India, people celebrate Rama's return to Ayodhya after defeating Ravana and his subsequent coronation.
    • In Gujarat, Lakshmi is honored and the goddess is believed to visit illuminated houses to bring prosperity for the year to come.
    • In Bengal, however, the goddess Kali is celebrated.

    Warnings

    • Keep an eye on the children as the firecrackers explode.
    • Do not place diya in places in the house where they could come into contact with flammable objects or harm children or pets.
    • Gambling must be for entertainment purposes only.
    • Some locations do not allow the use of firecrackers, so inform yourself before buying them.