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Community Corner

Happy Diwali!

Holiday season has begun already, only this time in India!

Holiday season is here!  Not the typical holidays like Christmas, Thanksgiving, or even Halloween. Today is this year’s “festival of lights”, a.k.a. Diwali in India. Although Diwali is primarily a Hindu holiday, it is celebrated throughout India, by all Indians, and all places where Indians reside, even here in Chantilly.

Diwali falls on the one new moon night between mid-October and mid-November and therefore is continually starting on different days each year. It is important to Hindus mainly because it signifies the day that their Lord Rama returned from exile after 14 years and therefore people light up their homes to welcome his return.  For Sikhs, Diwali is the day after their sixth Guru, Guru Hargobind Singh Ji and 52 other Sikhs were released from prison. Diwali is celebrated for 5 days and each day is important in its own way.

In India, Diwali is one of the largest holidays celebrated and one of the most enjoyed.  It is the closest thing to Christmas India has. Kids have off from school, and spend the day shooting firecrackers. People light up their homes with candles and diyas, clay lamps filled with oil, and also clean their homes and shops, and wash the areas around them.  They also give one another sweets and gifts, and everyone buys new clothes for themselves in order to celebrate the holiday. Finally, the most extravagant part of the holiday is the fireworks set off throughout the night. It is said that in India, especially in Mumbai, Diwali is celebrated throughout the day and the night; consequently the entire country is lit up for days.

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Yet Indians are spreading throughout the world, as can be seen by the growing population of Indians in the Northern Virginia area. In 2003, the White House celebrated Diwali and more importantly, in 2007, The U.S. Congress gave Diwali “official” status.  Similar to India, Indian-Americans celebrate by lighting up their homes, visiting Mandir (Hindu Temple) or Gurdwara (Sikh Temple), having poojas (religious offerings) eating sweets, and of course having a Diwali party where fireworks and sparklers are plentiful.

Happy Diwali everyone!

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