Diwali is a celebration of good over evil and light over darkness. The holiday is 5 days of fireworks, family, friends and food. Diwali is one of India’s biggest holidays that over one billion people celebrate, and this year’s celebration was on Saturday, Nov. 14. The way that Diwali is celebrated changed this year due to the pandemic, and people have learned to adapt the holiday to fit the current situation. 

Diwali celebrates light over darkness, and during the pandemic, we are living in dark times. Seeing families celebrate Diwali shows how we are overcoming that darkness. 

In past years, we would normally go to a family friend’s house for a Diwali celebration. We would cook traditional Indian food like idli and sambar and dress in traditional Indian clothes as well as have a potluck so other families could bring traditional Indian food and sweets. The children would run around the house dodging the parents, and at night we would light sparklers and flowerpots. 

However, this year we are celebrating the holiday in a different way and had to buy fireworks to set off at our house. We got sparklers, flower pots and poppers. Sparklers are more traditional fireworks: they are long sticks and when you show them to a flame, colorful sparks will fly out. Flower pots are ground fireworks that shoot out colorful sparks, and poppers are small bags that you throw on the ground to make a loud noise. 

Diwali celebrations are adapting everywhere else as well. Every year there is a Diwali celebration in Times Square, but this year they moved the celebration online. They showed a lamp lighting ceremony from Times Square and brought a lot of famous musical artists to perform. 

We are living through difficult times, and we need to do as much as we can to adapt to the situation. Celebrating Diwali, even if it’s from home, is a way for us to feel normal during this pandemic. Even though the way we celebrated Diwali was different, the meaning behind the holiday is still the same: light triumphant over darkness. 

Sources:

McKeever, Amy. “Diwali Is India’s Most Important Holiday-and a Celebration of Good over Evil.” The History and Customs of Diwali, the Indian Festival of Lights, 13 Nov. 2020, www.nationalgeographic.com/history/reference/holidays/diwali-history-customs-indian-festival-of-lights/.  

Yancey-Bragg, N’dea. “What Is Diwali, the Festival of Lights, and How Will It Be Celebrated amid Coronavirus?” USA Today, Gannett Satellite Information Network, 11 Nov. 2020, www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/11/11/diwali-2020-what-festival-lights-and-how-celebrated/6235436002/.  

Gajjar, Saloni. “Digital Diwali: How U.S. Celebrations for Indian Festival of Lights Pivoted This Year.” NBCNews.com, NBCUniversal News Group, 13 Nov. 2020, www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-america/digital-diwali-how-u-s-celebrations-indian-festival-lights-pivoted-n1247787.