What is Diwali, the Festival of Lights? How is it celebrated in India and the diaspora?

The most important thing is Diwali festival of the year in India — and especially for Indians.

It is celebrated across all faiths by over a billion people in the world’s most populous country and in the diaspora. For five days, people take part in it Christmas meetingsfireworks displays, feasts and prayers.

Diwali comes from the word “Deepavali” which means “row of lights”. Celebrants light rows of traditional clay oil lamps in front of their homes to symbolize the victory of light over darkness and knowledge over ignorance.

When is Diwali?

The festival dates are based on the Hindu lunar calendar and usually fall in late October or early November.

This year the holiday is celebrated on October 31 and November 1. In the United States, Diwali falls on Halloween this year, which has sparked quite a few #Diwaloween memes on social media, in which some celebrants can be seen lighting diyas in their scary costumes or handing out laddoos to trick-or-treaters or dogs.

What are the Hindu stories about Diwali?

Although Diwali is the main religious festival for Hindus, it is also celebrated by Sikhs, Jains and Buddhists. The origin story of Diwali varies from region to region. All these stories have one main theme – the victory of good over evil.

In southern India, Diwali celebrates the victory that led to Lord Krishna’s destruction of the demon Naraka, who is said to have imprisoned women and tormented his subjects. In northern India, Diwali celebrates the triumphant return of Lord Rama, his wife Sita, and brother Lakshmana from their 14-year exile in the forest.

How is Diwali celebrated?

The festival carries a number of unique traditions that also vary from region to region. What all celebrations have in common are lights, fireworks, feasts, new clothes and prayer.

— In southern India, many take a warm oil bath early in the morning, symbolizing bathing in the sacred Ganges River as a form of physical and spiritual cleansing.

—In the north, worshiping the goddess Lakshmi, who symbolizes wealth and prosperity, is the norm.

Gambling is a popular tradition due to the belief that whoever gambles on Diwali night will prosper throughout the year. Many people buy gold on the first day of Diwali, known as Dhanteras, and believe that this act will bring them good luck.

Setting off firecrackers is a cherished tradition, as is the exchange of sweets and gifts among friends and family. Diwali celebrations usually feature rangoli, which are geometric, floral patterns drawn on the floor using colored powders. This year, several northern Indian states, including the capital New Delhi, imposed partial or total bans on fireworks displays to combat rising pollution levels during Diwali.

What are the stories about Diwali in other faiths?

Buddhists, Jains and Sikhs have their own stories related to Diwali:

—Jains celebrate Diwali as the day when Lord Mahavira, the last of the great teachers, achieved nirvana, or liberation from the cycle of birth, death and rebirth.

—Sikhs celebrate Bandi Chhor Divas – a day that coincides with Diwali – to commemorate the release of Guru Hargobind, a revered figure of the faith who was imprisoned for 12 years by the Mughal Emperor Jahangir.

— Buddhists regard this day as the day when the Hindu emperor Ashoka, who reigned in the 3rd century BC, converted to Buddhism.

New 2024: Diwali Barbie

This year, Mattel released the “Barbie Signature Diwali Doll” by designer Anita Dongre, who wrote on Instagram that her Barbie represents “fashion-forward, modern women who proudly wear India on their sleeve.”

Unlike her earliest version from 1996, who was dressed in a light pink sari, or her 2012 avatar in a “monkey friend” wrap, Diwali Barbie is fashionably dressed in a lehnga, an embroidered ankle-length skirt with motifs from Dongre’s home state of Rajasthan , short blouse and vest.

Priced at $40, this doll sold out on the first day on Mattel’s website.

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