Diwali, a feast of light

The days are getting shorter, and since we’ve moved the clock again, most of the day seems to be in darkness.

That’s why holidays celebrating the light are all the more important these days.

One such is the Indian festival of light Diwali.

It lasts for five days, during which time Indians take to the streets for parades to mark the spiritual victory of light over darkness, good over evil, knowledge over ignorance, and hope over despair.

During the festival of light, the locals clean their homes and decorate them with lamps and candles to pay homage to the goddess Lakshmi.

Magnificent firework displays are put on in many cities during this time. They add pollution to the already dirty air in this country, so since last year they use environmentally friendly ones instead of the usual pyrotechnics.

A specialty of Diwali are rangoli: colourful artworks made of various colourful natural materials, such as petals, sand, flour and rice.

Diwali, which began this year on the 25th and ended on the 29th of October, is one of the most joyous and popular holidays in the Hindu calendar. Its start date is not the same every year. It is associated with the end of the harvest and the young moon.

It is celebrated as a national holiday in many countries, and other than India in Malaysia, Singapore, Nepal and Sri Lanka.

Points to Consider

1. Why do we like so much to celebrate light over darkness? 
2. Do you miss light in winter? 
3. What can you do about it?

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The original version of this article was published on October 30th.

English translation courtesy of JL Flanner, Total Slovenia News, an English language website with news from and about Slovenia.