People illuminate their homes, temples and offices with diyas, candles and lanterns. They celebrate by lighting lamps, decorating temples and monasteries, and worshipping the Buddha. The inscription states that Ramachandracharya built and dedicated a drama performance hall, with a golden cupola, on Diwali. [56], Diwali was also described by numerous travelers from outside India. The festival usually falls between mid-October and mid-November. The final day is Bhai Dooj and similarly, celebrates the bonds between brothers and sisters. Diwali is generally a time for visiting, exchanging gifts, wearing new clothes, feasting, feeding the poor, and setting off fireworks (though such displays have been restricted to limit noise and other environmental pollution). These clay lamps represent "the inner light that protects each household from spiritual darkness." While each day of Diwali has its own importance, on the third day of Diwali, this year on Oct. 24, people gather at temples to honor the goddess Lakshmi. Join half a million readers enjoying Newsweek's free newsletters. [151], During the season of Diwali, numerous rural townships and villages host melas,[152] or fairs, where local producers and artisans trade produce and goods. In 2022, Diwali is on Monday 24 October. The holiday falls in late October or early November each year, and in 2021, is on Thursday, November 4. . [167] In 2020, the INDF ETF was launched to mark the start of Diwali. These purchases are often gold and silver items or new utensils. [109] Textual evidence suggests that Bengali Hindus worshipped Lakshmi before the colonial era, and that the Kali puja is a more recent phenomenon. [129] At dusk, family members gather for the Lakshmi Pujan,[129] although prayers will also be offered to other deities, such as Ganesha, Saraswati, Rama, Lakshmana, Sita, Hanuman, or Kubera. Symbolising the triumph of good over evil and light over darkness, Diwali usually falls in the early autumn, coinciding with the new moon, deemed the darkest night of the Hindu lunar calendar. Here is everything you need to know about the festival and how it is celebrated. On this day, sisters will give gifts to their brothers and invite them to enjoy a meal. [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. [80], Per another popular tradition, in the Dvapara Yuga period, Krishna, an avatar of Vishnu, killed the demon Narakasura, who was the evil king of Pragjyotishapura, near present-day Assam, and released 16000 girls held captive by Narakasura. Diwali is celebrated for almost five days consecutively. The Diwali festival actually runs for five days, with the main event happening on the third day in most places in India. In 2019, Diwali started on October 25 as reported by The Fact. Diaspora, Identity, and Festivalization, The Festival of 'Deepavali' as Marks of Tradition and Identity for Working, Married Hindu Women: Continuity and Change, Celebrations as Social Investments: Festival Expenditures, Unit Price Variation, and Social Status in Rural India, M.A., English Literature, University of North Bengal. One tradition links the festival to legends in the Hindu epic Ramayana, where Diwali is the day Rama, Sita, Lakshman and Hanuman reached Ayodhya after a period of 14 years in exile after Rama's army of good defeated demon king Ravana's army of evil. Although not a primary festival of Buddhism, Diwali is celebrated by some Buddhists as a commemoration of the day when Emperor Ashoka converted to Buddhism in the 3rd century bce. Learn Religions. The Vishwakarma puja day is alternatively observed in other Hindu communities in accordance with the Hindu solar calendar, and this falls in September. [47][b], The five-day celebration is observed every year in early autumn after the conclusion of the summer harvest. About Diwali. During the festival, diyas are lit and placed in rows along the parapets of temples and houses and set adrift on rivers and streams. [12][114] Families also prepare homemade delicacies for Lakshmi Pujan, regarded as the main day of Diwali. It's associated with Lord Ram's return to his kingdom in Ayodhya after exile and rescuing his wife from demon king Ravan on Dussehra. Small business owners give gifts or special bonus payments to their employees between Dhanteras and Lakshmi Pujan. [135] Vaishnava families recite Hindu legends of the victory of good over evil and the return of hope after despair on the Diwali night, where the main characters may include Rama, Krishna, Vamana or one of the avatars of Vishnu, the divine husband of Lakshmi. [48][127], The youngest members in the family visit their elders, such as grandparents and other senior members of the community, on this day. [58] The Venetian merchant and traveler Niccol de' Conti visited India in the early 15th-century and wrote in his memoir, "on another of these festivals they fix up within their temples, and on the outside of the roofs, an innumerable number of oil lamps which are kept burning day and night" and that the families would gather, "clothe themselves in new garments", sing, dance and feast. Dipa oil lamps are often lit for Diwali celebrations. Sikhs historically referred to this festival as Diwali. Diwali is observed on the day of Amavasya or the new moon and marks the start of the Hindu New Year. The Jain Diwali celebrated in many parts of India has similar practices to the Hindu Diwali, such as the lighting of lamps and the offering of prayers to Lakshmi. Iff a festival falls in the waning phase of the moon, these two traditions identify the same lunar day as falling in two different (but successive) masa. Every occasion represents two main things: 1. Also known as the 'festival of lights', the celebration usually lasts for five days. Major celebrations occur on the third day of the five-day long festival . Hindus celebrate Diwali. When is Diwali? It celebrates the sister-brother bond, similar in spirit to Raksha Bandhan but it is the brother that travels to meet the sister and her family. [43], The artisan Hindu and Sikh community celebrates the fourth day as the Vishwakarma puja day. Hence Deepavali has been . According to the ancient calendar, Diwali is observed on Amavasya (or new moon) the 15th day of the month of Kartik, every year. Diwali Diwali (or Deepawali, Deepavali) is an ancient Hindu festival that is celebrated in autumn every year. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your device and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. All the days except Diwali are named using the designation in the Indian calendar. A few, notably the Mughal emperor Akbar, welcomed and participated in the festivities,[62][63] whereas others banned such festivals as Diwali and Holi, as Aurangzeb did in 1665. [143][147], The day celebrates the sibling bond between brother and sister. According to McDermott, while the Durga Puja is the largest Bengali festival and it can be traced to the 16th-century or earlier, the start of Kali puja tradition on Diwali is traceable to no earlier than about the mid-18th-century during the reign of Raja Krishnacandra Ray. Lakshmi is the focus of worship on that day. [159][160] According to Rao, Diwali is one of the major festivals where rural Indians spend a significant portion of their annual income, and is a means for them to renew their relationships and social networks. Diwali, also known as Deepavali, falls on 4 November this year. Diwali, also spelled Divali, is one of the major religious festivals in Hinduism, Jainism, and Sikhism. Today it is the "festival of lights," attached to various mythological stories, particularly tales about Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth. [122] A mythological interpretation of this festive day is the destruction of the asura (demon) Narakasura by Krishna, a victory that frees 16,000 imprisoned princesses kidnapped by Narakasura. We usually plan for our parents to visit us during this period but the pandemic has made it difficult this year for everyone. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your device and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. 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. People often think of Diwali as a Hindu festival, but it is also celebrated by Sikhs and Jains . Illustrative Islamic records, states Stephen Blake, include those of 16th-century Sheikh Ahmad Sirhindi who wrote, "during Diwali. the ignorant ones amongst Muslims, particularly women, perform the ceremonies they celebrate it like their own Id and send presents to their daughters and sisters,. they attach much importance and weight to this season [of Diwali]. These two festivals likely developed in tandem over their recent histories, states McDermott. A lunar year varies in length, each month containing approximately 29.5 days (354 days) depending on the moon's movement with respect to the earth. The exact dates change each year but this year, Diwali falls on Monday 24 October. They also spend time with family and friends to enjoy good food and fireworks. For Sikhs, the celebration highlights the release of guru Hargobind Singh from prison and his return to Amritsar. Diwali also known as Deepavali is the . In India, the holiday always falls on the 15th of Kartik, the first month of the Hindu lunar calendar . UCF's Indian Student Association (ISA) will host Diwali event at the Hindu Society of Central Florida Nov. 4 at 6 p.m. [70][71][g] Examples include a 10th-century Rashtrakuta empire copper plate inscription of Krishna III (939967 CE) that mentions Dipotsava,[72] and a 12th-century mixed Sanskrit-Kannada Sinda inscription discovered in the Isvara temple of Dharwad in Karnataka where the inscription refers to the festival as a "sacred occasion". [114][43][82] On the evening of Dhanteras, families offer prayers (puja) to Lakshmi and Ganesha, and lay offerings of puffed rice, candy toys, rice cakes and batashas (hollow sugar cakes). Homes are decorated, and floors inside and out are covered with rangoli, consisting of elaborate designs made of colouredrice, sand, or flower petals. This year's date of celebration starts November 14, 2020. . Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Diwali is typically a four- or five-day event, starting two days before the new moon and extending two days afterward. A lunar day is uniquely identified by three calendar elements: msa (lunar month), paka (lunar fortnight) and tithi (lunar day). [86][87], Trade and merchant families and others also offer prayers to Saraswati, who embodies music, literature and learning and Kubera, who symbolises book-keeping, treasury and wealth management. This year, celebrations began on Saturday, with the "main Diwali " falling today, Monday October 24, which marks the . This year, Diwali will be on Thursday, Nov. 4. The fourth day has different names in different regions and typically celebrates the marital bond. The word Deepawali comes from the Sanskrit word deep, which means an Indian lantern/lamp. Diwali festivities include a celebration of sights, sounds, arts and flavours. [162][q] ASSOCHAM, a trade organisation in India, forecasted that online shopping alone to be over 300 billion (US$3.8billion) over the 2017 Diwali season. [143] According to Kinsley, the ritual use of cow dung, a common fertiliser, is an agricultural motif and a celebration of its significance to annual crop cycles. Food is a major focus with families partaking in feasts and sharing mithai. It is celebrated in India and other countries such as Nepal, Malaysia, Fiji, and Mauritius. [123], This day is commonly celebrated as Diwali in Tamil Nadu, Goa, and Karnataka. Amavasya Tithi on Diwali begins at. Over time, these spring and autumn festivals became the most important of Sikh festivals and holy sites such as Amritsar became focal points for annual pilgrimages. In some parts of India, the day after Lakshmi Puja is marked with the Govardhan Puja and Balipratipada (Padwa). In 2013, about 25 billion (US$310million) of fireworks were sold to merchants for the Diwali season, an equivalent retail value of about 50 billion (US$630million) according to The Times of India. When is Navaratri in 2021, 2022, and 2023? This is the day when Hindu, Jain and Sikh temples and homes are aglow with lights, thereby making it the "festival of lights". Among Hindus the most widespread customis 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. [75][76] Another early 13th-century Sanskrit stone inscription, written in the Devanagari script, has been found in the north end of a mosque pillar in Jalore, Rajasthan evidently built using materials from a demolished Jain temple. People will wear their best clothes and pray to Lakshmi as lamps are lit outside homes and temples. Each day of the festival has special significance. [112] [o] The looms, tools of trade, machines and workplaces are cleaned and prayers offered to these livelihood means. [64][65][d][e], Publications from the British colonial era also made mention of Diwali, such as the note on Hindu festivals published in 1799 by Sir William Jones, a philologist known for his early observations on Sanskrit and Indo-European languages. Diwali Dates Detailed Information What makes Dev Deepawali different from Diwali? The legislation will come into effect next year, and Diwali will replace Anniversary Day, which is also known as Brooklyn-Queens Day, so that schools can still deliver the 180-day requirement of . The duration will be 1 hour 56 minutes. You can find out more and change our default settings with Cookies Settings. The second day, called NarakaChaturdashiorChotiDiwali, commemorates Krishnas destruction of Narakasura; prayers are also offered for the souls of ancestors. In some communities, husbands will give gifts to their wives, while in others parents with newly married children invite them and their spouses to enjoy a meal and receive gifts. Amavasya is thought of as the darkest night of the year and is holy to Hindus. Corrections? Amavasya is thought of as the darkest night of the year and is holy to Hindus. When Is Diwali in 2021, 2022 and 2023? Diwali is celebrated on the 15th day of Kartik which is considered as the most serene months according to the Hindu Lunar calendar. [12] According to Goldstein, these are then shaped into various forms, such as laddus, barfis, halwa, kachoris, shrikhand, and sandesh, rolled and stuffed delicacies, such as karanji, shankarpali, maladu, susiyam, pottukadalai. Diwali is celebrated in the Hindu month of Kartik. Like : If I was born on Sept 18 th - which is a full moon day I need to celebrate my bday on a full moon day in that month( even month is different from calender months) Hop. Diwali festivities usually last for 5 days. [114], On the second day of Diwali, Hanuman Puja is performed in some parts of India especially in Gujarat. The festivities vary between different regions. Subhamoy Das is the co-author of "Applied Hinduism: Ancient Wisdom for Today's World." Diwali was celebrated as a signifier of triumph of good over evil after Krishna's Victory over Narakasura. The main festival is on Sunday, but festivities begin on Friday, a day called Dhanteras. The name of this festival is derived from 'avali,' which means 'row,' and 'deepa,' meaning "clay lamps." Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. Kartik overlaps with October and November. [168], Diwali has increasingly attracted cultural exchanges, becoming occasions for politicians and religious leaders worldwide to meet Hindu or Indian origin citizens, diplomatic staff or neighbours. [174][175] Barack Obama became the first president to personally attend Diwali at the White House in 2009. [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. Meaning "rows of lighted lamps," Diwali is a celebration of light over darkness for different cultures across the world, especially South Asia. [91] The telling of these myths are reminiscent of the Hindu belief that good ultimately triumphs over evil. [21][22] Many towns organise community parades and fairs with parades or music and dance performances in parks. Das, Subhamoy. [50] It is mentioned in mentioned in early Sanskrit texts, such as the Padma Purana and the Skanda Purana, both of which were completed in the second half of the 1st millennium CE. This year it was from November 5th-9th and in 2019 it will be October 25-29th. For example, the Singaporean government, in association with the Hindu Endowment Board of Singapore, organises many cultural events during Diwali every year. Important Read: Tips to Celebrate Diwali in 2021 History and Significance of Diwali Although most important for Hindus, the festival is also observed by Jains, Sikhs, and some Buddhists. "Deepawali" and "Dipawali" redirect here. 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. In other regions, parents invite a newly married daughter, or son, together with their spouses to a festive meal and give them gifts. This year (2021), Diwali begins on Tuesday 2 November, with the peak day of celebrations happening on the third day, Thursday 4 November.

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