A Beautiful Diwali + a Playlist
Words by: Maggie Laubscher | Music by: Abby Yemm
Happy Diwali, Nellies! It’s a time of light and love and joy - everything we need right now. India’s biggest holiday symbolizes a spiritual victory of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance. There can’t be a better time to celebrate hope and light than right now, can there? It’s a beautiful meaning that feels so relevant right now.
During the festival, people light up their homes and shops. They gather, they feast. It’s poker parties and fireworks and mithai boxes and beautiful gift boxes called hampers. They look to Lord Ganesha for wisdom and intellect and Goddess Lakshmi for wealth and joy. And they celebrate.
Historically, Diwali is a Hindu holiday that honors the deity Rama (the seventh incarnation of the god Vishnu). It is believed that on Diwali, Rama returned to his people after 14 years of exile. Today, Diwali is akin to Christmas in its popularity -- celebrated by many religions and also non-religious people. The Festival of Lights gets its name from the clay lamps (deepa) that families light in rows (avali) outside their homes. The lighted lamps symbolize the inner light that protects from spiritual darkness.
To celebrate the triumph of good over evil, Diwali offers countless beautiful sentiments and we can’t get enough of them. What follows is just a sampling…
“May these fireworks burn away all our troubles, problems, and sorrows, and may these light up our life with happiness, joy, and peace this wonderful Diwali.”
“Happiness is in the air because it is the ambience of Diwali, which is everywhere. Shower love, care, and joy on everyone you meet.”
“Sky full of fireworks and the air full of happiness. It is the season of Diwali, to be celebrated with your loved ones.”
So happy Diwali, Nellies. Below are some highlights of the five days of festivities. And we leave you with another fave wish from the holiday: Wishing you a Diwali that brings happiness, prosperity, and joy to you and all your family. XO
DAY ONE
A day of rangoli and spring cleaning. Day one is when people deep clean their home and work, purchase fresh home items, and prep for festival celebrations. That includes setting out clay lamps and decorating floors with colorful rangoli. The rangoli are beyond gorgeous and incredibly intricate - we could scroll through images of them for days. The designs include detailed patterns and are usually created with colored rice, sand, flowers, and other natural materials.
DAY TWO
A day of ritual and sweets. Day two is a day to bathe, wear fresh clothes, and prepare festive foods, especially sweets. Mithai (the Hindu word for sweets) often include cardamom, rose water, or saffron soaked in milk or simple syrup. We’ll take one of everything, please.
DAY THREE
A day of light. Day three is the main day of Diwali and when the Festival of Lights occurs. It’s a day when temples, homes, and shops are aglow and when families gather, have feasts, set off fireworks, and offer prayers. It’s also the day when sky lanterns - miniature hot air balloons lit by a small fire - are released into the night stay. It’s a visual feast full of hope.
DAY FOUR
Love. A day to celebrate romantic lovers, originally the bond between husband and wife. Think gifts and feasts and a mountain of sweets.
DAY FIVE
Siblings. A day to celebrate siblings, originally the bond between brother and sister. It’s a similar celebration to Day Four, with families gathering for festive meals and gift-giving. As you can see, a through line of Diwali is feasts and gifts and sweets and love. So beautiful.
