Diwali along with Holi for Hindus, and Easter for Christians, was adopted as public holiday resolution by Pakistan's parliament in 2016, giving the local governments and public institutions the right to declare Holi as a holiday and grant leave for its minority communities, for the first time. Each day of Diwali is marked differently. Diwali festivities include a celebration of sights, sounds, arts and flavours. In Australia, over one million Hindus, Jains, Buddhists and Sikhs celebrate versions of the festival, which include Tihar and Bandi Chhor Diwas. Many light diyas and keep them burning throughout the night. [19] Diwali is also marked with fireworks and the decoration of floors with rangoli designs, and other parts of the house with jhalars. As the term "Festival of Lights" suggests, the celebration involves millions of lights illuminated from rooftops, doorways, and windows in thousands of temples and buildings all over the countries where the festival is observed. Subhadra welcomes him with a tilaka on his forehead. [124] Many visit their favourite Hindu temple. [116] On this day, many Hindus clean their homes and business premises. The day of Diwali itself falls on November 4.. The name of this festival is derived from 'avali,' which means 'row,' and 'deepa,' meaning "clay lamps." It is a day off for the general population, and schools and most businesses are closed. Goddess of Wealth, Lakshmi Devi is worshipped on this day and it is customary to purchase precious articles. [156] It is traditionally a time when households purchase new clothing, home refurbishments, gifts, gold, jewelry,[157][158] and other large purchases particularly as the festival is dedicated to Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and prosperity, and such purchases are considered auspicious. [185] When these compounds pollute the air, they increase the risk of cancer in people. Small business owners give gifts or special bonus payments to their employees between Dhanteras and Lakshmi Pujan. The Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue was founded as Secretariat for non-Christians by Pope Paul VI. Omissions? The fourth day has different names in different regions and typically celebrates the marital bond. The height of Diwali is celebrated on the third day coinciding with the darkest night of Ashvin or Kartika. [56], Diwali was also described by numerous travelers from outside India. [112] [o] The looms, tools of trade, machines and workplaces are cleaned and prayers offered to these livelihood means. This legend is remembered through the ritual of building small mountain-like miniatures from cow dung. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Naraka Chaturdashi is also a major day for purchasing festive foods, particularly sweets. [56][57] Rajasekhara referred to Deepavali as Dipamalika in his 9th-century Kavyamimamsa, wherein he mentions the tradition of homes being whitewashed and oil lamps decorated homes, streets and markets in the night. Diwali was celebrated as a signifier of triumph of good over evil after Krishna's Victory over Narakasura. Such events are also mentioned in Sikh historical records. To produce colors when crackers are burst, carcinogenic and poisonous elements are used. The festival usually falls between mid-October and mid-November. The names and events of the individual days of Diwali are as follows: The first day, known as Dhanteras, is dedicated to cleaning homes and purchasing small items of gold. It is mentioned in Sanskrit texts dating from the fourth century CE but was likely practiced for many hundreds of years before that. It is an official holiday in a dozen countries, while the other festive days are regionally observed as either public or optional restricted holidays in India. [79], Hindus of eastern India associate the festival with the Goddess Kali, who symbolises the victory of good over evil. [68] In his paper on The Lunar Year of the Hindus, Jones, then based in Bengal, noted four of the five days of Diwali in the autumn months of Aswina-Cartica [sic] as the following: Bhutachaturdasi Yamaterpanam (2nd day), Lacshmipuja dipanwita (the day of Diwali), Dyuta pratipat Belipuja (4th day), and Bhratri dwitiya (5th day). The festival climax is on the third day and is called the main Diwali. Diwali/Deepavali is a public holiday. Diwali is known as the festival of lights in India. [79] The festival formally begins two days before the night of Diwali, and ends two days thereafter. It takes place on November 26 this year. The Diwali night's lights and firecrackers, in this interpretation, represent a celebratory and symbolic farewell to the departed ancestral souls. Diwali is celebrated over five days in most of North India. Hindus celebrate Diwali. iStockphoto.com/SoumenNath What Do People Do? [53][54], The five-day long festival originated in the Indian subcontinent and is likely a fusion of harvest festivals in ancient India. Diwali, also spelled Divali, one of the major religious festivals in Hinduism, Jainism, and Sikhism, lasting for five days from the 13th day of the dark half of the lunar month Ashvina to the second day of the light half of the lunar month Karttika. Diwali this year is a close-knit family affair. He has written several books about Hinduism for children and young adults. Ritually, in honour of Lakshmi, the female player always wins. Naraka Chaturdashi, also known as Chhoti Diwali, is the second day of festivities coinciding with the fourteenth day of the dark fortnight of Ashwin or Kartik. The Prime Minister Jawaharlal . Das, Subhamoy. It was in early 20th-century, states Harjot Oberoi, a scholar of Sikh history, when the Khalsa Tract Society triggered by the, Hindus of eastern and northeastern states of India associate the festival with the goddess. Sainsbury's bans fireworks across . Diwali is for mere mortals; Dev Deepawali is the festival of the gods. Every autumn, the observance sees millions of people attend. [81], Many Hindus associate the festival with Goddess Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and prosperity, and wife of Vishnu. Diwali is celebrated on the fifteenth day of the Hindu month of Kartika and, much like Easter, the date changes every year. This festive day is interpreted by some to symbolise Yama's sister Yamuna welcoming Yama with a tilaka, while others interpret it as the arrival of Krishna at his sister Subhadra's place after defeating Narakasura. Today it is the "festival of lights," attached to various mythological stories, particularly tales about Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth. In 2022, Diwali will begin on October 22, and end on October 26. It coincides with the day of Kali Chaudas. Diwali celebrations burst into life on the third day of the five day festival of lights, which falls between October and November with a changing date each year. It's observed on the 15th day of the month. Cook, Sharell. It's a one-day celebration, known as Deepavali, that usually falls a day before the main Diwali date but sometimes occurs on the same day (when the lunar days overlap). [91] The telling of these myths are reminiscent of the Hindu belief that good ultimately triumphs over evil. The word "Deepavali" means "a row of lights" in Sanskrit, and its origins were likely as an ancient harvest festival. Diwali also known as Deepavali is the . [103][104][k], Diwali is not a festival for most Buddhists, with the exception of the Newar people of Nepal who revere various deities in Vajrayana Buddhism and celebrate Diwali by offering prayers to Lakshmi. While the dates vary annually based on the Hindu lunar calendar, Diwali usually occurs in October or November. However, in South India, the festival is observed as the defeat of Narakasura. A Hindu devotee lights oil lamps at a temple during . This year (2021), Diwali begins on Tuesday 2 November, with the peak day of celebrations happening on the third day, Thursday 4 November. It's a celebration that takes place 15 days after Diwali - the Hindu festival of lights. [43] In western states such as Gujarat, and certain northern Hindu communities of India, the festival of Diwali signifies the start of a new year. While different historical events are observed in different regions and by different faiths, Diwali represents the triumph of light over darkness, and knowledge over ignorance for all the cultures that celebrate it. The auspicious time to conduct Lakshmi Puja will begin at 6:09 pm and end at 8:04 pm, according to the Drik Panchang. Since the 18th century, Diwali has been celebrated in Sikhism as the time of Guru Hargobinds return to Amritsar from captivity in Gwalioran echo of Ramas return to Ayodhya. Each day has the following rituals and significance:[43], Dhanteras, derived from Dhan meaning wealth and teras meaning thirteenth, marks the thirteenth day of the dark fortnight of Ashwin or Kartik and the beginning of Diwali in most parts of India. Diwali, the festival of lights, is a religious observance commemorated by Hindus, Sikhs, Jains and some Buddhists around the world. Unlike some other festivals, the Hindus typically do not fast during the five-day long Diwali including Lakshmi Pujan, rather they feast and share the bounties of the season at their workplaces, community centres, temples, and homes. Shiva surrenders his shirt and adornments to her, rendering him naked. For example, the Singaporean government, in association with the Hindu Endowment Board of Singapore, organises many cultural events during Diwali every year. It coincides with the new moon (amvasy) and is deemed the darkest night of the Hindu lunisolar calendar. This event is free and UCF students of all backgrounds are encouraged to attend. According to Truschke, Aurangzeb did so because he found the festivals "distasteful" and also from "concerns with public safety" lurking in the background. What makes Dev Deepawali different from Diwali? How is Diwali celebrated? This year, Diwali will be celebrated on October 24. This year, Diwali begins on Monday 24 October on the Gregorian calendar. [123], This day is commonly celebrated as Diwali in Tamil Nadu, Goa, and Karnataka. [167] In 2020, the INDF ETF was launched to mark the start of Diwali. The festival falls sometime between October and November. Guru Amar Das, the third Guru of the Sikhs, built a well in Goindwal with eighty-four steps and invited Sikhs to bathe in its sacred waters on Baisakhi and Diwali as a form of community bonding. On the third day, Lakshmi Puja, families seek blessings from Lakshmi to ensure their prosperity; light diyas, candles, and fireworks; andvisittemples. [135][61] While the cleaning, or painting, of the home is in part for goddess Lakshmi, it also signifies the ritual "reenactment of the cleansing, purifying action of the monsoon rains" that would have concluded in most of the Indian subcontinent. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. Ths festival of lights, i.e. Among Hindus the most widespread custom is the lighting of diyas (small earthenware lamps filled with oil) on the night of the new moon to invite the presence of Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth. "When Is Diwali in 2021, 2022 and 2023?" Join half a million readers enjoying Newsweek's free newsletters. [73] According to Lorenz Franz Kielhorn, a German Indologist known for translating many Indic inscriptions, this festival is mentioned as Dipotsavam in verses 6 and 7 of the Ranganatha temple Sanskrit inscription of the 13th-century Kerala Hindu king Ravivarman Samgramadhira. Diwali is also celebrated to mark the return of Rama to Ayodhya after defeating the demon-king Ravana and completing his fourteen years of exile. [110] Some regions of India start Diwali festivities the day before Dhanteras with Govatsa Dwadashi. Diwali is the Festival of Lights, observed by Indian communities around the world. It began sending official greetings and message to Muslims in 1967 on. The date of Deepavali on the new moon makes it the darkest night in the month of Kartik, when the nights are cold, long, and dark: all the lights make that darkness easier to bear. [143], In some rural communities of the north, west and central regions, the fourth day is celebrated as Govardhan puja, honouring the legend of the Hindu god Krishna saving the cowherd and farming communities from incessant rains and floods triggered by Indra's anger,[143] which he accomplished by lifting the Govardhan mountain.