Light up your life with Diwali! Celebrated to mark the triumph of
good over evil, Diwali is a 3 or 5 day festival (depending where you
come from). It is observed each year at some point during
mid-October to mid-November, mainly in countries such as India,
Singapore, Malaysia, and Nepal, or where there are large Indian
communities living such as in Canada, Britain, and New Zealand.[1]
Just as Christians regard Christmas as a special and important
holiday, Diwali is a festival that has as much meaning for Hindus.
Aside from Hinduism, other religions that celebrate this festival are
Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism. Whatever your faith, you can join in
the festivity that is "The Festival of Lights". Here are some
suggestions for celebrating it.
!! Steps !!
Learn about Diwali. Diwali is also known as Deepavali, the "deep"
meaning "light" or "lamp", and "avali" meaning "row"[2] This "row of
lights" is represented by lighting lamps everywhere during Diwali.
The reasons behind celebrating Diwali differ and are outlined under
"Tips". Diwali consists of three to five days of celebrations (the
duration depends on where you come from or derive the celebratory
traditions from):
* The thirteenth day (Dhanatrayodashi or Dhanteras). This is the
first day of Diwali. "Dhan" means "wealth" and this is the day for
celebrating the goddess Lakshmi, the Goddess of Wealth.[3] For
some places in India, the lamps are kept burning for Lord Yamaraj,
the God of Death.
* The fourteenth day (Chhoti Diwali or Narak chaturdashi). Hindus
believe that this is the day that Lord Krishna destroyed the demon
Narakasur, freeing the world from fear. Firecrackers are often let
off from this day.[4]
* The new moon day (Diwali / Lakshmi puja / Lakshmipujan) of the
dark fortnight of Ashvin. This is the actual day of Diwali, and
the most significant day. If the house has not already been
cleaned, it must be done early this day to welcome the Goddess
Lakshmi. Gifts and sweets are exchanged on this day to strengthen
bonds of love between family and friends.[5] Firecrackers are let
off after dinner.
* The first day of the bright fortnight of Kartik (Balipratipada /
Padiwa / Goverdhan puja / Varshapratipada). This is the day that
Lord Krishna lifted the Govardhan Parvat to protect the Gokul
people from Indra's wrath and King Vikramaditya was crowned.[6]
Husbands present gifts to their wives on this day.[7]
* The fifth and final day of the Diwali Festival (Bhai Dooj / Bhaiya
Dooj). On the final day of Diwali, brothers and sisters renew
sibling love, with sisters applying the sacred red tilak on the
forehead of their brothers and praying for their long life, while
brothers bless their sisters and provide gifts of love.
* Not everyone includes the thirteenth day, and the separate holy
festivals of Vasubaras and Bhaubij precede Diwali, and follow the
Diwali Festival respectively.[8]
Go shopping. It is customary to buy utensils and ornaments on the
first day of Diwali.[9]
Clean the house and business premises thoroughly before the first
Diwali day, or the Dhanteras.[10] Do the laundry, clean all the
rooms and sort out your papers in both your home and business. It's
like a spring cleaning of sorts, a "cleansing" ritual to rid
yourself of any unnecessary elements in your environment.
* Draw small footprints using rice flour and vermillion powder over
your house; this is a way of indicating that you're awaiting the
arrival of the Goddess.
Make the entrance way to your home or business colourful using the
traditional motifs of Rangoli designs, bells, flower garlands, wall
hangings, mirrors, LED lights, etc.[11] This is a joyful way to
welcome the Goddess of Wealth and Prosperity. Rangoli designs can be
found across the internet. To help get you started, this section
provides some examples to inspire your design.
Rangoli design example one:
Rangoli design example two:
Rangoli design example three:
Rangoli design example four:
Rangoli design example five:
Burn lamps every night during the festival. In the evening, light
small oil lamps (called "diyas") and place them around the home.
Turn all the lights on and light some candles. The lamps symbolize
knowledge or one's inner light, which brings about inner peace and
fights off any traces of darkness and ignorance.
Light some firecrackers and fireworks. These are a common part of
Diwali, used to symbolize warding off evil from your surroundings.
They are usually set off in greatest numbers on the actual day of
Diwali (the third day).
* If you're setting off your own firecrackers, be careful and follow
all safety precautions associated with using firecrackers.
* Be careful of noisy crackers.
* Take care to keep pets and small children indoors and away from
the excitement and frightening noises. See How to look after pets
during fireworks for more information.
Wear new clothes and jewels on the second and third days. If you are
a woman, try to obtain a sari, the traditional Indian dress for
women. If you're a woman, wear an Indian blouse and top. Men
normally wear kurthas, the national clothes for Indian men.
Bake sweets, snacks, and savouries. These are traditional offerings
for Diwali and are given as gifts.[12] Some ideas include:
* Make rangoli
* Make 7 cup burfi
* Make kulfi
* Make pongal
* Make rasgullas
* Make jalebi
* For more ideas, see Indian Sweets and Desserts.
Go vegetarian. For many Indians, Diwali is a meatless holiday.[13]
There aren't any set dishes, so the choices can be varied but it is
important to include sweets, as Diwali is about sweets. Some
suggestions for meals to make during Diwali can be found in
Vegetarian Indian Dishes.
Perform a "Lakshmi pooja". This is a ritual performed on Diwali day
(the third day) in order to seek divine blessings from the Goddess
of Wealth, Lakshmi, who helps those who strive to achieve wealth. It
consists of an elaborate ritual using grains, leaves, coins, and
idols to prepare a ceremony. During this ritual, you can invoke the
Goddess by reciting the Vedic mantras or by thinking of her being
showered with gold coins with two elephants standing one each side
of her as you chant her name. Offerings are made and at the end, the
aarti is performed quietly and a peaceful atmosphere should
accompany the entire ritual.[14]
Play games. Games are a part of the Diwali Festival, including card
games, Rummy, charades, pass the parcel, musical chairs, scavenger
hunt, hide and seek, etc. It's not just for kids but for
everyone![15]
* It's okay to play for money in card games but don't wager too
much.
Care for your sibling. Brothers and sisters affirm sibling love and
look after one another on the final day of Diwali.[16] Cook for your
sibling, give your sister presents, and tell your brother you love
him and wish him a long life.
Join public space celebrations of Diwali. Even if you don't practice
Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, or Sikhism, you can still join in the
Diwali celebrations that are held in many public spaces. For
example, in New Zealand both the capital Wellington and the city of
Auckland, and various towns, hold public Diwali Festivals that
welcome all comers.[17] Go and see what is happening, join in the
fun, and celebrate with everyone else.
* Attend public concerts, parties, celebratory events, and feasts
for Diwali.
* Wish everyone a Happy and Prosperous Diwali.
!! Video !!
!! Tips !!
* There are many names describing this festival: Diwali, Divali,
Devali, Deepavali. It just depends on where the celebration is
being held, and where you originate from. In most English-speaking
countries where Indians reside, it is known as Diwali.
Here is some background knowlege of why Diwali is celebrated:
* In North India, people celebrate the return of Rama to Ayodhya
after defeating Ravana and Rama's coronation as king.
* In Gujarat, people honor Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth. It is
believed that Lakshmi the benevolent goddess will bring prosperity
in the coming year if she visits the home, and the lamps are a
means for attracting her to the home.[18]
* In Bengal, Kali, Goddess of Time is honoured.
* Diwali signifies the renewal of life and hence starting a new
project or business is considered auspicious during these
celebrations.
* The legend behind gambling on Diwali is that Goddess Parvati
played dice with her husband Lord Shiva and declared that whoever
gambles on Diwali night would prosper throughout the coming year.
* Diwali has widespread acceptance. In 1999, marked with a "tilak"
on his forehead, Pope John Paul II performed a special Eucharist
in an Indian church at an altar decorated with Diwali lamps. His
speech referred to the Festival of Light. The U.S. Senate's Senate
Resolution 299, recognizing the "religious and historical
significance of the festival of Diwali", was passed unanimously on
November 14, 2007.
!! Warnings !!
* Children using firecrackers should be watched over by the
responsible adult.
* Certain places, regions, states, cities do not allow the use of
firecrackers since it's considered illegal, so please check
before purchasing them.
* Do not place diyas in areas where there are chances of fires
starting or children or pets tripping over them, or tipping them
over.
* Gambling is just played for fun; by no means should you gamble
away all your money.
!! Things You'll Need !!
* Diyas (lamps): Oil lamps can be created by pouring a small amount
of oil (can use cooking oil) and then rolling half a cotton ball
to look like a long spaghetti string. Dip this string in the oil
and then light it.
* Rangoli elements
* Firecrackers
* New clothes and jewellery
* Gifts
* Sweets
!! Related WikiHows !!
* How to Make Rangoli
* How to Apply Indian Dance Makeup
* How to Cook Indian Onion Bhaji
* How to Make 7 Cup Burfi
* How to Make Coconut Laddu
!! Sources And Citations !!
!! Article Tools !!
* Read on wikiHow
*
0 comments:
Post a Comment