Diwali, a five-day-long festival, celebrates good triumphing over evil. Diwali is primarily celebrated by those who observe Hinduism, however, other religions such as Sikhism, Jainism, and Buddhism celebrate as well.
This year, Diwali spans from Nov. 10-14 with the main celebration occurring this Sunday, Nov. 12, 2023. Many Novi students observe Diwali through a variety of traditions and ceremonies.
Junior Darsh Bhuva views Diwali as a time to celebrate and spend time with family.
“Diwali is the festival of lights but also celebrates the Hindu new year!” Bhuva said. “Diwali is full of beautiful, vibrant colors and lights that light up our houses. We light dias (tealights) to invite our god to visit us.”
The tradition of lighting dias is representative of light prevailing over darkness, the main reason Diwali is celebrated.
As Diwali is a religious ceremony, acts of worship are commonplace and occur throughout other celebrations. One example is puja, a ceremonial worship coming from the word “pu,” meaning flower. Traditions for puja vary throughout communities, however, it usually consists of making an offering of flowers or fruit to a god (Brittanica). The main deity worshiped during Diwali is Lakshmi, the goddess of fortune, prosperity, and wealth (Royal Museums Greenwich).
“We usually do a puja every year where we pray to god and wish for a good year ahead,” Bhuva said. “We also eat tons of sweets and enjoy time with family. After dinner, once it’s dark outside, we burst colorful firecrackers and light up the night sky!”
Bhuva’s favorite part of Diwali is the firecrackers.
“I love the crackling noises of the sparklers and the laughter of small kids as fireworks are set up,” Bhuva said. “The joy of the sounds, smell, and colors makes this my favorite part of Diwali.”
Bhuva asks teachers to consider the fact that many students celebrate Diwali.
“Diwali is a time of celebration and is very important for a lot of people so it would be awesome if teachers could reduce the amount of homework in the week of Diwali,” Bhuva said.
Though people celebrate Diwali in a variety of ways depending on their community, the spirit of celebration is alive and well in Novi.
