Two Sundays ago, it was the 3rd day of Diwali. Diwali is the Indian festival of lights, and it lasts 5 days. It is probably the biggest Indian holiday, and it is like the Christmas for Indians. Many people celebrate with family and friends, and similar to Christmas, there is an exchange of gifts. Additionally, Diwali is like New Year in a way, because it is considered the New Year for Indians, and it is celebrated with fireworks. Some other important parts of Diwali are mithais (Indian sweets), pujas (religious ceremonies), rangolis (sand art), and diyas (clay pots which you put candles in). The reason for the diyas and fireworks is because Diwali is the festival of lights, and people want to give off as much light as possible. There is a mythical story behind the traditions of Diwali, and this story is passed down through generations. Basically, Ravana was this demon king with 10 heads. He caused destruction and kidnapped a beautiful woman named Sita. Her husband, King Rama, of a place called Ayodah went out to search for her, and after a long battle, he rescued Sita. After the battle, all the people rejoiced, and they lit oil lamps to guide Rama and Sita back home. The moral of the story is that light always triumphs over dark. In our family, Diwali is celebrated by calling and talking to our relatives in India, and also inviting over our family friends. To start the preparations, my sister and I make rangolis in the morning, using many colors of sand to create a picture. This year we made a peacock, the national bird of India. Then we set up diyas all over the house, and light candles. Every year, it is our tradition to buy 2 new diyas, so this year we had 106 in total. We also have some diyas that we have made ourselves over the years. After that, we make some mithais. This year I made coconut ladoos (milk ball shaped sweet), and my sister made some kaju kathli (cashew nut diamond shaped sweet). When our family friends arrive, we start with a puja, and we do our prayers. Then we have the sweets followed by dinner. To spice things up, instead of making Indian food this year, my mom made falafels. Finally, we end with lighting fireworks and sparklers. Diwali is one of my favorite holidays, and I love the preparations and celebrations with my family and friends.
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