Popular Activities During Diwali
Culture & History
The Hindu Festival of Lights - where you get to play with firecrackers, dress up in beautiful new clothes, taste delicious sweets, play cards, and party all day long with friends and family. What makes Diwali different from any other religious festival out there is that it is fun – it is about having a great time, and basking in the company of your family and friends. How to make this Diwali the most memorable one of your life so far? What are the things to do this Diwali to make it all the more fun and exciting? Let’s find out!
Diwali is that one time of the year when all family members are together at one place. Mom, Dad, all the kids, grandparents, siblings and their families, uncles, aunts, everyone celebrates Diwali together, as a single family. Diwali is that time of the year when tens of thousands of non-resident Indians and Indian-Americans catch the flight to India to meet with their families. Gifts are exchanged, blessings asked for and given, dresses are admired, friendships are renewed and new relationships are made. Families that are separated by geography, come together as one on Diwali.
It’s not enough just to visit a temple and do your Puja there on Diwali. If you want Mother Lakshmi to visit your house, you must spend time and effort on conducting an elaborate Lakshmi Puja at your house. You can carry out the Puja yourself, reading out the Vedic Hymns or Shlokas from a book, or ask a priest to visit your house on that day. Mind you – it’s very difficult to book a home visit by priest on Diwali, they are incredibly busy on this day.
Diwali is fun for the women of the house as they get to try out pretty new ethnic clothes and dress up for the occasion. If you’re young and single, Diwali is the time to make an impression on someone you like. Invite your friends and relatives and hire a professional artist to apply Mehendi to all guests. Mehendi – for those of you who don’t know – is like a beautifully designed temporary tattoo, except there is no pain involved. Mehendi is an intricate body art which makes use of a special paste formed from the powdered dry leaves of the henna plant and can be washed off easily. Why don’t you check out these beautiful Mehendi designs on Pinterest? That should get you noticed!
Remember the Diwali fire crackers you used to play with as a kid? Anaar, Chakri, Rocket, Ladis, Phuljhadi, Hunter, Colorful Matches, Atom Bomb, Laxmi Pataka, Phoonk Bomb…. Gosh, those were the days. These days it’s very hard to get your hands on firecrackers because of recent punitive actions taken by the Supreme Court of India against their use, purportedly to protect the environment. It’s beyond the scope of this blog to go into the merits/demerits of the Supreme Court decision. But this Diwali you must buy firecrackers for your kids (whatever is legally available in the markets) and teach them to play with firecrackers safely, without disturbing anyone.
Okay, this is strictly for the gamblers among you. Diwali is a good time to play cards with your friends and make money. Diwali card games are big money affairs where fortunes are lost and made. Of course, you can play cards with the kids (or with your friends) as well just for fun. In that case, that’s perfectly fine. Playing cards is fine as long as there are no heavy stakes involved and it’s just for fun. You can play a variety of classic games such as Teen Patti (the official Diwali card game), Rummy, Blackjack, and Poker.
You want your house to look at its very best this Diwali. After all, most of your friends and your extended family will be visiting. Well, don’t waste any time – get rid of the clutter, spruce up the garden, fix anything that is broken, check the lights and the fans, and hire a painter to give the interior and external walls a fresh new coat of paint. And yes, if there is still time, go for a complete kitchen and bathroom renovation.
For all the shopaholics among you – we know why you wait for Diwali with such anticipation every year! It’s your license to shake off the chains that hold you back and start splurging without getting judged for it. Go ahead, buy all the handbags, dresses, shoes, video game consoles, smartphones, etc. you’ve always wanted. Not happy with the 32-inch TV you’ve got at home? Okay, make the most of the Diwali discount offer at the store nearby and buy that 50-inch TV. Happy now? Shopping is for a lot of people, the #1 thing to do on Diwali. Totally understandable! And yes, don’t forget to buy lots and lots of firecrackers – that’s the only thing your kids will want this Diwali.
What better way to start Diwali than by a visit to a Mandir or temple with the entire family: Mom and dad, the kids, grandparents, aunts and uncles – a family that goes to the Mandir together on Diwali, stays together. Ask Lord Ganesh to bless everyone with health and wisdom. Pray to Mother Lakshmi, the Goddess of Wealth and seek out Her blessings. Hindu temples are generally crowded during Diwali, so you should be prepared to wait in the queue for a darshan (view) of the Gods. But it’s well worth it. If you’re in the U.S., make sure to leave as early as possible to a Hindu temple that is closest to where you are.