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You can find out more and change our default settings with Cookies Settings. [95] According to the Jain tradition, this practice of lighting lamps first began on the day of Mahavira's nirvana in 527 BCE,[j] when 18 kings who had gathered for Mahavira's final teachings issued a proclamation that lamps be lit in remembrance of the "great light, Mahavira". Each day of Diwali is marked differently. Diwali or Deepavali, also known as the "Festival of Lights," is the biggest festival in theHindu calendar, celebrated in early fall of each year. Communities prepare over one hundred dishes from a variety of ingredients, which is then dedicated to Krishna before being shared among the community. [31][32][33] The main day of the festival of Diwali (the day of Lakshmi Puja) is an official holiday in Fiji,[34] Guyana,[35] India, Malaysia,[a][36] Mauritius, Myanmar,[37] Nepal,[38] Pakistan,[39] Singapore,[40] Sri Lanka, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago. The five day festival falls in the first week of Novmber. This festive day is interpreted by some to symbolise Yama's sister Yamuna welcoming Yama with a tilaka, while others interpret it as the arrival of Krishna at his sister Subhadra's place after defeating Narakasura. Major temples and homes are decorated with lights, festive foods shared with all, friends and relatives remembered and visited with gifts. Patrice J. Williams is a travel and style content creator, fact-checker and author of the thrift shopping book. [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. [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. Make sure you check the dates online if you plan on visiting India during Diwali. [140] According to Handelman and Shulman, as quoted by Pintchman, this legend is a Hindu metaphor for the cosmic process for creation and dissolution of the world through the masculine destructive power, as represented by Shiva, and the feminine procreative power, represented by Parvati, where twelve reflects the number of months in the cyclic year, while thirty are the number of days in its lunisolar month. [116] Some communities, particularly those active in Ayurvedic and health-related professions, pray or perform havan rituals to Dhanvantari on Dhanteras. "There were a hundred-plus of us at my cousin's house each year," she explains. [101] According to J.S. This year, Diwali will be on Thursday, Nov. 4. Diwali, the festival of lights, is a religious observance commemorated by Hindus, Sikhs, Jains and some Buddhists around the world. [128][95], The day after Diwali is the first day of the bright fortnight of Kartik. The dates change each year because they are based on the Hindu lunar calendar, but it typically happens in October and November. [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. Small business owners give gifts or special bonus payments to their employees between Dhanteras and Lakshmi Pujan. . The festivities vary between different regions. 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This day marks the beginning of deepawali celebrations. Each day has the following rituals and significance:[43], Dhanteras, derived from Dhan meaning wealth and teras meaning thirteenth, marks the thirteenth day of the dark fortnight of Ashwin or Kartik and the beginning of Diwali in most parts of India. Where does Diwali get its name? In Australia, over one million Hindus, Jains, Buddhists and Sikhs celebrate versions of the festival, which include Tihar and Bandi Chhor Diwas. Kartik overlaps with October and November. [79], Hindus of eastern India associate the festival with the Goddess Kali, who symbolises the victory of good over evil. Dates for 2020 to 2025. "When Is Diwali (Deepavali)? [56][57] Rajasekhara referred to Deepavali as Dipamalika in his 9th-century Kavyamimamsa, wherein he mentions the tradition of homes being whitewashed and oil lamps decorated homes, streets and markets in the night. Each day has a different name and rituals. Lasting over five days, the holiday is celebrated by millions of Hindus, Jains, and Sikhs worldwide. [27] Newar Buddhists, unlike other Buddhists, celebrate Diwali by worshipping Lakshmi, while the Hindus of Eastern India and Bangladesh generally celebrate Diwali by worshipping the goddess Kali. [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. October 18, 2019 By Simran Jeet Singh (RNS) With more than a billion people celebrating Diwali every year, the festival is one of the largest and most significant religious observances. [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. At such events a variety of music, dance and arts performances, food, crafts, and cultural celebrations are featured. Scholars contest the 527 BCE date and consider Mahavira's biographical details as uncertain. According to the ancient calendar, Diwali is observed on Amavasya (or new moon) the 15th day of the month of Kartik, every year. [125], Some Hindus observe Yama Deepam (also known as Yama Dipadana or Jam ke Diya) on the second day of Diwali, instead of the first day. In India, while everyone celebrates Deepavali, people don't amass in public, but rather in small groups with their friends and families in homes, neighborhoods, and local temple communities. [21][22] Many towns organise community parades and fairs with parades or music and dance performances in parks. This year, it begins in the first week of November from 2nd-6th. He has written several books about Hinduism for children and young adults. This event is free and UCF students of all backgrounds are encouraged to attend. Because the festival of Diwali is celebrated according to the lunar calendar, the dates are different each year. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. The second day, called NarakaChaturdashiorChotiDiwali, commemorates Krishnas destruction of Narakasura; prayers are also offered for the souls of ancestors. Shopkeepers and small operations perform puja rituals in their office premises. [29][30] Newar Buddhists in Nepalese valleys also celebrate the Diwali festival over five days, in much the same way, and on the same days, as the Nepalese Hindu Diwali-Tihar festival. [13][14][15][16] The festival is widely associated with Lakshmi,[17][18] goddess of prosperity and Ganesha, god of wisdom and the remover of obstacles, with many other regional traditions connecting the holiday to Sita and Rama, Vishnu, Krishna, Durga, Shiva, Kali, Hanuman, Kubera, Yama, Yami, Dhanvantari, or Vishvakarman. Though technically religious, it's also become a cultural event in North America that's celebrated with sweets and special foods. They also spend time with family and friends to enjoy good food and fireworks. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. It is well preserved on the north wall of the second. Diwali 2021: What the holiday . [169][r], Many governments encourage or sponsor Diwali-related festivities in their territories. Cook, Sharell. Diwali is typically a four- or five-day event, starting two days before the new moon and extending two days afterward. [121] The day and its rituals are interpreted as ways to liberate any souls from their suffering in "Naraka", or hell, as well as a reminder of spiritual auspiciousness. Also known as the 'festival of lights', the celebration usually lasts for five days. Diwali will become a public school holiday in New York City starting next year, Mayor Eric Adams (D) announced Thursday.. Why it matters: Diwali, a celebration of light over darkness that starts on Oct. 24 this year, is one of the most sacred holidays observed by Hindus, Sikhs, Jains and Buddhists. The Lacshmipuja dipanwita, remarked Jones, was a "great festival at night, in honour of Lakshmi, with illuminations on trees and houses".[68][f]. "[74][h], Jain inscriptions, such as the 10th-century Saundatti inscription about a donation of oil to Jinendra worship for the Diwali rituals, speak of Dipotsava. [176], Every year during Diwali, Indian forces approach their Pakistani counterparts at the border bearing gifts of traditional Indian confectionery, a gesture that is returned in kind by the Pakistani soldiers who give Pakistani sweets to the Indian soldiers. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. While different historical events are observed in different regions and by different faiths, Diwali represents the triumph of light over darkness, and knowledge over ignorance for all the cultures that celebrate it. [52] In Nepal, it is also a multiday festival, although the days and rituals are named differently, with the climax being called the Tihar festival by Hindus and Swanti festival by Buddhists. In 2022, Diwali falls on October 24th which is a new moon day or Amavasya. Diwali celebrates Rama's eventual defeat of the evil spirit Ravana, and his triumphant return to his home. Diwali for the year 2022 is observed on 24 October, which falls on a Monday. Food is a major focus with families partaking in feasts and sharing mithai. Calendar Of Deepavali Holidays 2022.We present you with all the dates Diwali will have from 2022 till 2040. Ubtan is applied by the women which is made up of special gram flour mixed with herbs for cleansing and beautifying themselves. [124], As the evening approaches, celebrants will wear new clothes or their best outfits, teenage girls and women, in particular, wear saris and jewelry. [120] The term "chhoti" means little, while "Naraka" means hell and "Chaturdashi" means "fourteenth". 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. [m] Contemporary Bengali celebrations mirror those found elsewhere, with teenage boys playing with fireworks and the sharing of festive food with family, but with the Shakti goddess Kali as the focus. The reason Diwali's celebration date is different each year is that each of the Hindu calendarsthere are severalis lunisolar, meaning they take into effect both the movements of the sun and the moon. [79] Throughout the epic, Rama's decisions were always in line with dharma (duty) and the Diwali festival serves as a reminder for followers of hinduism to maintain their dharma in day to day life. It is in fact the thirteenth lunar day of Krishna Paksh, the dark forthnight of the month of Kartik. [116] On this day, many Hindus clean their homes and business premises. [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. The Diwali festival dates back to ancient times in India. People illuminate their homes, temples and offices with diyas, candles and lanterns. [112] [o] The looms, tools of trade, machines and workplaces are cleaned and prayers offered to these livelihood means. It coincides with the day of Kali Chaudas. Diwali Decor. Diwali is known as the festival of lights in India. Today it is the "festival of lights," attached to various mythological stories, particularly tales about Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth. [143], The last day of the festival, the second day of the bright fortnight of Kartik, is called Bhai Duj (literally "brother's day"[146]), Bhau Beej, Bhai Tilak or Bhai Phonta. Since the 18th century, Diwali has been celebrated in Sikhism as the time of Guru Hargobinds return to Amritsar from captivity in Gwalior, an echo of Lord Ramas return to Ayodhya. Furthermore, when specifying the masa, one of two traditions are applicable, viz. In 2022, Diwali is on Monday 24 October. It's celebrated across five days with the day of Diwali observed on the new moon or Amavasya. [181][182], The use of firecrackers on Diwali increases the concentration of dust and pollutants in the air. The dates of Diwali change every year, though the five day festival generally falls between late October and early November.