Diwali: Festival of Lights & Happiness
Published by: Greymouse Marketing | 8 November, 2022
Diwali happens around mid-October to mid-November or during autumn (or spring, in the southern hemisphere), during the Hindu month of Kartik.
It specifically occurs on the darkest day of the lunar month, which is the day of the new Moon. Diwali is the “festival of lights”—a holiday that celebrates the triumph of good over evil This year, it was celebrated on October 24.
In India, Diwali is celebrated differently in different parts of the country, and people in Fiji blended it into one, with a South Pacific twist!
A few prevalent motifs in the celebration of Diwali include the lighting of candles or diyas, which are placed along the parapets of temples and houses and set adrift on rivers and streams. On this celebration, homes are are decorated, and floors inside and out are covered with rangoli, consisting of elaborate designs made of coloured rice, sand, or flower petals.
Diwali also follow a common theme, including the gathering of families. It also becomes a time for visiting, gift exchanging, donning new clothes, feasting, and other activities.
The main celebration of Diwali takes place on the day of the new Moon, when the sky is at its darkest where candles, clay lamps, and oil lanterns are lit and placed along temples and houses and set adrift on rivers and streams. Fireworks are also set off on the night to ward off evil spirits.
Another central theme of Diwali is family where wearing best new clothes, gathering with the family to eat sweets and other special foods, lighting diyas (decorative oil lamps), and praying for ancestors are done.
Businesses are generally closed (or close early) on Diwali to allow workers to celebrate with their families, too.
The feast can be quite lavish, with the table filled with specialty foods and desserts. After all, Diwali wouldn’t be the same without sweets!
In Fiji’s multiracial, multilingual, and multicultural society, Diwali allows individuals of all faiths and communities to coexist and live in harmony with one another to further the social and cultural development of the community.
This year’s Diwali celebration for Greymouse was even more special as we celebrated it with our wonderful client.
Do you celebrate Diwali? What traditions do you follow for the holiday?
