15 facts about Diwali
- The word Diwali means rows of lighted lamps
- Diwali is celebrated by cleaning their house, wearing new clothes, exchanging gifts, preparing festive meals, decorating buildings with lights, and massive firework displays
- In the Diwali legend of Rama and Sita, Rama returned home after 14 years of exile
- Diwali is a Hindu festival
- Diwali lasts for 5 days
- Diwali is the most important holiday for India
- The 4th day of Diwali is the Hindu New Year
- People light lots of small oil lamps called diyas, like in the legend, when Rama returns
- The more lamps people light, the more likely it is for Lakshmi (the goddess of wealth and good fortune) to visit them
- Doors and windows are left open, so Lakshmi can find her way into people’s houses
- Lotus blossoms are drawn on the ground outside houses in coloured sand, as a symbol of welcome
- The festival can be called Diwali, Divali, Deepavali, and the Festival of Lights
- Diwali falls in either October or November
- Diwali begins on the 14th day of the dark half of the Hindu month Asvina (All Hindu months are divided into a light half, when the moon waxes, and a dark half, when the moon wanes)
- Diwali is celebrated by around 900 million people around the world
| The Diwali legend of Rama and Sita | |
| This legend is about a prince named Rama. The king wanted Rama to become king, but one of his three wives wanted her own son to become king, so she asked for her son to become king, and for Rama to be sent into the forest for 14 years. The king was very sad, but he had promised his wife she could have anything she wanted, so he sent Rama away. His wife Sita and his brother Lakshman decided to accompany Rama into the forest.
For many years, they lived in the forest happily, until one day, Rama and Lakshman were tricked and lead away from Sita. While Sita was alone, an old man came by, and asked Sita for a drink. The old man was really the evil, ten headed Ravana, who wanted to capture Sita and make her his wife. Ravana captured Sita to his castle on a remote island. When Rama found out that Sita had been taken, he set out to rescue her. Rama needed help, so he went to the monkey Hanuman. Hanuman was pleased to help, and he found the island where Sita was. He told Rama where she was, and then Rama and Hanuman’s army went to fight Ravana and his army. They fought for a long time, until Ravana was finally defeated by Rama. Rama reunited with Sita, and since the 14 years had passed, they returned home. The people in the kingdom lit small lamps to light the way for Rama and Sita, and when they returned home, they were made king and queen |