11 Ideas and Activities for Diwali
October 16th, 2009
On the 17 October 2009, many people will celebrate the Indian holiday of Diwali. This is the celebration of the victory of good over evil; the uplifting of spiritual darkness. Diwali is becoming a well known and popular festival in Britain and non-Indians also join in the festivities. Here are some ideas for those who wish to join in!
In Britain, Hindus and Sikhs celebrate Diwali with great enthusiasm and in a similar way to as it is in India.
Features of this festival include decorating homes with lights, putting on Fireworks displays and distributing sweets and gifts.
Diwali,being the festival of lights, is celebrated with symbolic colourful paper lanterns as an important part of the decorations.
People clean and decorate their homes with lamps and candles called diyas or kandils. People also give each other sweets such as laddoo and barfi. They wear colourful clothing and new jewelry, and women and girls hands are decorated with henna designs.
Diwali also coincides closely enough with the British Bonfire Night traditions on November the 5th that in many areas a joint festival has developed where everyone celebrates and enjoys the same fire and fireworks for their own diverse reasons.
Things to make and do:
- Make paper lanterns
- Make small glass painted candle holders.
- Decorate a candle with drawing pins.
- Do henna painting on your hands.
- Listen to Indian music and try dancing along.
- Make Indian Curry biscuits.
- Draw/print a Rangoli pattern: A rangoli is a colourful design made on the floor near the entrance to a house to welcome guests. At Diwali, Hindus draw bright Rangoli patterns to encourage the goddess Lakshmi to enter their homes.
- Make a Diwali door hanging (torans) to welcome visitors.
- 2 Ways to Make a clay Lamp for a tea light
- Make a paper flower necklace.
- Make a Diya mobile
Tags: Diwali activities and ideas, Things to make and do for Diwali
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