Diwali is celebrated by over a billion people across the world and depending on the year can fall from late October to early November. It is a celebratory time for Hindus, Jains, Sikhs and Buddhists, with the origins of the festival varying dependent on the region. The festival celebrates the victory of light over darkness and good over evil. The name Diwali originates from the Sanskrit word “Deepawali”, translating to “row of lights”. Traditionally during the festival, celebrants light oil lamps in rows outside of their houses, and come together for festive gatherings of games, gifting, prayer and food. We spoke with Smiti Bhushan, Manager at Brooklyn Park Foodland, who celebrates Diwali every year with her family. She explains how she celebrates and what traditions her family partake in. Read on for words from Smiti, Store Manager, Brooklyn Park Foodland…
“Being originally from Ludhiana in Punjab, Diwali is something that is just as exciting as Christmas for us. Similar to Christmas, we hold gatherings and parties with family and friends leading up to the day of Diwali. During this time we exchange gifts and make sweets. We love to gift traditional sweets such as gulab jamun, rasgulla, barfi and laddu to our family and friends leading up to celebration. On the day of Diwali, it is a tradition to make fresh rice pudding called Kheer. Back in India, firecrackers are lit all through the street, but of course we can’t do that here, so instead sparklers are a big part of celebrations. We also enjoy the tradition of making rangolis which are detailed patterns on the floor using various pigmented powders. It is usually done with friends and family, one person does the borders and the other colours the inside. Its purpose is to symbolize filling up your life with colour, my two daughters enjoy this a lot as they can get messy. It’s the best time to share culture, traditions and spend time with the kids.”
Smiti, Store Manager, Brooklyn Park Foodland
Why not get into the Diwali spirt by making something yourself:
