Diwali is a festival of light that is celebrated by Hindus, Jainism and buddhists. It is called the festival of light because diwali means “the row of light”. It celebrates the victory of light over darkness, good over evil and knowledge over ignorance. The celebrations last for 5 days. The climatic days are 3 on the night of the new moon in the month of Cartia in hindu calendar. The lunar calendar Diwali shifts around year over year between October and November. This year is November 12, 2023.
During the festival people decorate their homes with light and oil lamps called diyas. As night falls homes, temples and public spaces are lit with thousands of diyas. It is also customary to not sleep the whole night on the days of the celebrations.
Mr.Martin Charlesworth a P.E and Health teacher at Hillside High-School said “I have been to Punjabi before and experience the celebrations of Diwali it was a combination of Independence days and Thanksgiving because it has a really big feast, each house have the decorations of the Diwali and the long lasting fireworks that nights”.
Dr.Indira Arumagam an anthropologist at Univesity of Singapore said “… luminous refutation of winter’s gathering darkness, imminent chill, and swirling inauspisciousness”.
Not all 5 days are celebrated depending on the community. India is very diverse and Hinduism is very diverse. Each day has a different meaning for the first day is called Dhanteras where people will shop on auspicious days specifically to buy gold or silver ,the second day is small diwali and the third day is the main diwali.