Diwali
Also called Deepavali, Deepawali
The festival of lights, five days long
Tap or click a dark lamp to light it.
What it is
October or November, on the new moon
Diwali is the festival of lights. Hindus believe it marks Lord Rama coming home to Ayodhya after defeating Ravana, and a lot of families also pray to Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth. Sikhs and Jains celebrate it too, for their own reasons. It runs about five days, and the main night is the new moon.
How people celebrate
People light rows of small clay lamps called diyas all around the house.
Families draw rangoli at the front door, which are patterns made with colored powder or flower petals.
On the main night, families do Lakshmi puja and then light sparklers and fireworks.
People get new clothes and visit relatives with boxes of sweets.
A lot of families deep clean the whole house first, since the story goes that Lakshmi visits clean, well lit homes.
What people eat
- Ladoo
- Round sweets made from gram flour or semolina, sugar and ghee.
- Kaju katli
- Thin diamond-shaped cashew fudge, sometimes with edible silver on top.
- Gulab jamun
- Fried dough balls soaked in rose and cardamom syrup.
- Chakli
- A crunchy spiral snack made from rice flour that families fry in big batches.
Did you know?
In December 2025, UNESCO added Deepavali to its list of the world's intangible cultural heritage.
What SASA is doing
We're celebrating Diwali with Eastview's Asian Student Association (ASA) on Friday, Nov. 13, from 2:45 to 3:30 in Room C330. There will be free food, a Diwali Kahoot with prizes, and a Wall of Lights.