Welcome to the October blog! In this blog we'll be going over fun October celebrations you can do at home, or just learn more about celebrations that happen around the world.

Diwali

Diwali is a great example of an October celebration, also known as the festival of lights. During Diwali, people wear their finest clothes, illuminate the interior and exterior of their homes with saaki (earthen lamp), diyas, and rangoli, perform worship ceremonies of Lakshmi, the goddess of prosperity and wealth, light fireworks, and partake in family feasts, where mithai (sweets) and gifts are shared. Known as the ‘festival of lights,’ Diwali – also called Divali or Deepavali – celebrates the triumph of light over dark and good over evil.

The name comes from the Sanskrit word ‘dipavali’, which means row of lights. Many traditions are observed over Diwali, which is celebrated throughout India, Singapore, Nepal, Malaysia, and Sri Lanka to name a few, as well as in other places where there are large Hindu, Sikh, and Jains communities. On the first day of Diwali in India, families clean their homes and create intricate patterns on the floor of their houses or tabletops, using rice, sand, powdered limestone, colored rocks, or flowers. It’s a time-consuming practice and represents the happiness, positivity, and liveliness of a household.

Hindus also use it to welcome Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and good luck. It’s derived from the Sanskrit word ‘rangavalli’ which means color. Lights, of course, are the main event. On the third day (or the second day if you’re in southern India), families gather and celebrate by lighting lanterns and candles in their homes at the entrances and out on the streets. Fireworks are set off, sparklers lit, and Diyas, which is an oil lamp made from clay with a cotton wick dipped in ghee or vegetable oil, is used. A Diya will be lit every morning and every evening. While lighting a Diya

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