Every year the festival falls either in November or in October and that depends on how the cycle of moon is going in that particular year. It's celebrated across five days with the day of Diwali observed on the new moon or Amavasya. 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. [13][14][93][94], A scholar of Jain and Nivethan, states that in Jain tradition, Diwali is celebrated in observance of "Mahavira Nirvana Divas", the physical death and final nirvana of Mahavira. This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Diwali-Hindu-festival, Diwali - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11), Diwali - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). Food is a major focus with families partaking in feasts and sharing mithai. When you visit this site, it may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. What is Diwali? | University of Central Florida News Ubtan is applied by the women which is made up of special gram flour mixed with herbs for cleansing and beautifying themselves. The festivals and . According to the ancient calendar, Diwali is observed on Amavasya (or new moon) the 15th day of the month of Kartik, every year. Diwali is typically a four- or five-day event, starting two days before the new moon and extending two days afterward. Furthermore, when specifying the masa, one of two traditions are applicable, viz. Cook, Sharell. Diwali 2022: What Is Diwali? - The Old Farmer's Almanac Diwali this year is a close-knit family affair. ( See calendar ). Diwali is the Indian "festival of lights"a holiday that celebrates the triumph of good over evil. They install diyas, small earthen oil-filled lamps that they light up for the next five days, near Lakshmi and Ganesha iconography. A lunar half-month is 15 days. It's been 11 years since we celebrated Diwali at our family homes back in India, but that will never stop us from feeling at home, celebrating traditions, and embracing it. 25 Diwali Facts - Parade: Entertainment, Recipes, Health, Life, Holidays Lakshmi is the focus of worship on that day. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. The darkest night is the apex of the celebration and coincides with the second half of October or early November in the Gregorian calendar. This festival gets its name from "Deepa" meaning "Light" and "Avali" meaning "Row". Next year (2024) November 1 (Friday) Last year (2022) October 24 (Monday) This holiday gets its name from the rows of clay lamps that Indians light just outside their houses. Learn Religions. Diwali/Deepavali is a public holiday. The Diwali festival actually runs for five days, with the main event happening on the third day in most places in India. According to a Government of Himachal Pradesh and India publication, the Vishvakarma puja is observed on the fourth day of Diwali in the Himalayan state. When is Diwali this year and how to celebrate the Festival of Lights According to Audrey Truschke, the Sunni Muslim emperor Aurangzeb did limit "public observation" of many religious holidays such as Hindu Diwali and Holi, but also of Shia observance of Muharram and the Persian holiday of Nauruz. The name is derived from the Sanskrit term dipavali, meaning row of lights. The festival generally symbolizes the victory of light over darkness. Why do Hindu festivals fall on different dates every year? Diwali is celebrated over five days in most of North India. The lighting of the lamps celebrates the light of Mahaviras holy knowledge. It is celebrated in India and other countries such as Nepal, Malaysia, Fiji, and Mauritius. The Prime Minister Jawaharlal . They celebrate by lighting lamps, decorating temples and monasteries, and worshipping the Buddha. When is Diwali 2022: What is Diwali, who celebrates it and how to wish Dates for 2020 to 2025. A solar calendar (like the Gregorian one) has an average of 365.24 days. It symbolizes the victory of good over evil and an even deeper meaning is to drive away our inner darkness with light. Related: 25 Diwali Facts When is Diwali 2022? What Is Diwali? When and How to Celebrate This Indian Holiday | Martha It takes place on November 26 this year. What is Diwali and how is it celebrated? - Real Word [20], The festival is an annual homecoming and bonding period not only for families,[17][18] but also for communities and associations, particularly those in urban areas, which will organise activities, events and gatherings. [124][128] Shops either do not open or close early on this day allowing employees to enjoy family time. Diwali is celebrated in the Hindu month of Kartik. Cook, Sharell. Answer (1 of 6): Hindus do not follow date system. Residents of Amritsar lit lamps throughout the city to celebrate the occasion. How to Celebrate Diwali this Year - 5280 [92][12], Originally a Hindu festival, Diwali has transcended religious lines. Also known as the 'festival of lights', the celebration usually lasts for five days. Today it is the "festival of lights," attached to various mythological stories, particularly tales about Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth. More than 1 billion people celebrate on Diwali. What does it mean to them? Diwali 2023 - Private travel in Asia, tailor-made tours | Asia Highlights The name is derived from the Sanskrit term dipavali, meaning row of lights. The festival generally symbolizes the victory of light over darkness. The Hindu calendar is based on both the sun and moon (while the Gregorian calendar is only based on the sun). Diwali 2021: Here's all you need to know about why Diwali - Firstpost You can find out more and change our default settings with Cookies Settings. This year's date of celebration starts November 14, 2020. . Diwali 2023 dates | When Is Diwali/ Deepawali in 2023? Diwali symbolises the spiritual "victory of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance". iStockphoto.com/SoumenNath What Do People Do? Monier Monier Williams (2008 updated, Harvard University), Sanskrit English dictionary, . https://www.learnreligions.com/when-is-diwali-1770209 (accessed March 4, 2023). [68] In his paper on The Lunar Year of the Hindus, Jones, then based in Bengal, noted four of the five days of Diwali in the autumn months of Aswina-Cartica [sic] as the following: Bhutachaturdasi Yamaterpanam (2nd day), Lacshmipuja dipanwita (the day of Diwali), Dyuta pratipat Belipuja (4th day), and Bhratri dwitiya (5th day). Earlier in the season's fortnight, some welcome the souls of their ancestors to join the family for the festivities with the Mahalaya. [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. We usually plan for our parents to visit us during this period but the pandemic has made it difficult this year for everyone. Diwali is generally a time for visiting, exchanging gifts, wearing new clothes, feasting, feeding the poor, and setting off fireworks (though such displays have been restricted to limit noise and other environmental pollution). The names and events of the individual days of Diwali are as follows: The first day, known as Dhanteras, is dedicated to cleaning homes and purchasing small items of gold. [53][54], The five-day long festival originated in the Indian subcontinent and is likely a fusion of harvest festivals in ancient India. Diwali festivities usually last for 5 days. [80], Per another popular tradition, in the Dvapara Yuga period, Krishna, an avatar of Vishnu, killed the demon Narakasura, who was the evil king of Pragjyotishapura, near present-day Assam, and released 16000 girls held captive by Narakasura. The day of Diwali itself falls on November 4. The Catholic dicastery Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, founded as Secretariat for non-Christians by Pope Paul VI, began sending official greetings and the Pope's message to the Hindus on Diwali in the mid-1990s. DIWALI - Changes Annually - National Day Calendar [126] Family members light up firecrackers, which some interpret as a way to ward off all evil spirits and the inauspicious, as well as add to the festive mood. During the festival, Hindus, Jains and Sikhs illuminate their homes, temples and workspaces with diyas (oil lamps), candles and lanterns[16] Hindus, in particular, have a ritual oil bath at dawn on each day of the festival. [115][144][145], The agricultural symbolism is also observed on this day by many Hindus as Annakut, literally "mountain of food". Sikhs historically referred to this festival as Diwali. [43][82] Along with Lakshmi, who is representative of Vaishnavism, Ganesha, the elephant-headed son of Parvati and Shiva of Shaivism tradition, is remembered as one who symbolises ethical beginnings and the remover of obstacles. It is observed by the Vajrayana Buddhist minority among the Newarpeople of Nepal. This is believed to please Yama, the god of death, and to ward off untimely death. (2021, September 4). In South India the festival marks Krishnas defeat of the demon Narakasura. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. Goddess Lakshmi, the goddess of good fortune and prosperity, is the primary deity worshiped during Diwali. Diwali celebrates Rama's eventual defeat of the evil spirit Ravana, and his triumphant return to his home. Subhamoy Das is the co-author of "Applied Hinduism: Ancient Wisdom for Today's World." [114], According to Tracy Pintchman, Dhanteras is a symbol of annual renewal, cleansing and an auspicious beginning for the next year. Every year on the darkest night in the northern hemisphere, millions illuminate their homes and streets to celebrate the victory of good over evil. The 5 days of Diwali The Hindu lunar calendar has two parts: dark (Krishna paksha, or "waning moon" in Sanskrit) and light (hukla paksha, or "waxing moon"), and the new moon (amavasya) always occurs in between the parts, typically on the 15th. For planning purposes, here are the dates for the main celebrations for Diwali for the next few years: The date to celebrate Diwali generally changes by a week to 10 days every year. What is Diwali? All About the 2022 Festival of Lights Kartik overlaps with October and November. It is observed on the 15th day of the 8th month (the month of Kartik) in India's calendar. The day of Diwali itself falls on November 4.. What Is Diwali? Here's What to Know About the Holiday [174][175] Barack Obama became the first president to personally attend Diwali at the White House in 2009. The second day is Naraka Chaturdashi. Das, Subhamoy. [140] It is regionally called Annakut (heap of grain), Padwa, Goverdhan puja, Bali Pratipada, Bali Padyami, Kartik Shukla Pratipada and other names. The inscription states that Ramachandracharya built and dedicated a drama performance hall, with a golden cupola, on Diwali. When is Diwali 2022? What to know the festival of lights - Deseret News Diwali is celebrated on the fifteenth day of the Hindu month of Kartika and, much like Easter, the date changes every year. Each day has a different name and rituals. Sometimes these are wrapped with edible silver foil (vark). Shiva surrenders his shirt and adornments to her, rendering him naked. In 2023, Diwali is on November 12. The Hindu calendar is lunisolar but most festival dates are specified using the lunar portion of the calendar. [116], On Yama Deepam (also known as Yama Dipadana or Jam ke Diya), Hindus light a diya, ideally made of wheat flour and filled with sesame oil, that faces south in the back of their homes. Here is everything you need to know about the festival and how it is celebrated. Large government-sponsored festivals are held in London, Sydney, Toronto, and Edinburgh, and they are often a showcase for Indian culture, music, dance, fashion, food, crafts, and fireworks. DIWALI. This year, Diwali falls at the start of November beginning with Dhanteras on November 2. [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. [168], Diwali has increasingly attracted cultural exchanges, becoming occasions for politicians and religious leaders worldwide to meet Hindu or Indian origin citizens, diplomatic staff or neighbours. [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. You can find out more and change our default settings with Cookies Settings. [79], Hindus of eastern India associate the festival with the Goddess Kali, who symbolises the victory of good over evil. In 2022, the five days of Diwali begin on October 22, with the most important festival date taking place on October 24. What is Diwali and how is it celebrated? | BBC Good Food Sainsbury's bans fireworks across . For example, the Singaporean government, in association with the Hindu Endowment Board of Singapore, organises many cultural events during Diwali every year. [98][99] This traditional belief of the origin of Diwali, and its significance to Jains, is reflected in their historic artworks such as paintings. The first day, November 2, is Dhanteras. As the term "Festival of Lights" suggests, the celebration involves millions of lights illuminated from rooftops, doorways, and windows in thousands of temples and buildings all over the countries where the festival is observed. The height of Diwali is celebrated on the third day coinciding with the darkest night of Ashvin or Kartika. Retrieved from https://www.learnreligions.com/when-is-diwali-1770209. This year's festival begins on Oct. 22. When Is Diwali (Deepavali)? Dates for 2020 to 2025 - Learn Religions [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. It is mentioned in Sanskrit texts dating from the fourth century CE but was likely practiced for many hundreds of years before that. [61], Islamic historians of the Delhi Sultanate and the Mughal Empire era also mentioned Diwali and other Hindu festivals. Diwali festivities include a celebration of sights, sounds, arts and flavours. When Is Diwali in 2021, 2022 and 2023? - Learn Religions Typically the holiday falls in October or November, as it's observed on the 15th day of Kartik, the holy month of the Hindu lunar calendar . The women, in particular, adorn themselves in colourful attire and decorate their hands with henna. Diwali 2021: What is it and who celebrates the holiday? - WTSP The festival falls sometime between October and November. The festival climax is on the third day and is called the main Diwali. Illustrative Islamic records, states Stephen Blake, include those of 16th-century Sheikh Ahmad Sirhindi who wrote, "during Diwali. the ignorant ones amongst Muslims, particularly women, perform the ceremonies they celebrate it like their own Id and send presents to their daughters and sisters,. they attach much importance and weight to this season [of Diwali]. [116] On this day, many Hindus clean their homes and business premises. It . Monier Monier Williams (2008 updated, Harvard University), Sanskrit English dictionary, . Diwali 2021: What the holiday .

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