At our all school assembly this past Friday, DCD Middle School student Sanjana Hwang spoke about Diwali, The Festival of Lights! Sanjana began by sharing that Diwali, or Deepavali, is a Hindu holiday celebrating light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance. It is the most celebrated Hindu holiday, and it lasts 5 days. Sanjana explained the significance of each of the five days of Diwali: On day one, known as Dhanteras, new purchases are made and houses are cleaned. On Choti Diwali, day two, houses are decorated, clay lamps called diyas are set out, and colorful sand decorations called rangoli are made. On day three, Diwali Day, (the main day of Diwali), fireworks, huge feasts, and praying to the goddess Lakshmi take place. On day four, Govardhan Puja is a day to visit with friends and family and exchange gifts, and Bhai Dhuj, the final day of Diwali celebrates the bonds between siblings.

Sanjana then spoke about Diwali’s significance around the world. She introduced The Ramayana, a Sanskrit poem about Prince Rama who is an incarnation of the god, Vishnu, and Rama’s banishment from the kingdom, Ayodhya. While in the forest, Rama’s wife, Sita, is kidnapped by an evil, ten headed demon named Ravana. Lord Rama and his army defeat Ravana, and return home triumphant after 16 years! Diwali celebrates Rama’s return as his path home was lit with thousands of diyas (lights).

She then explained that in the Sikh religion, Diwali is celebrated for a different reason. For the Sikhs, Diwali is a story about the struggle for freedom, and celebrates the victory of the sixth guru, Guru Hargobind, from the grasp of Emperor Jahangir who had imprisoned him and 52 other princes in 1619.

She went on to share that Diwali has a very special significance in Jain religion, as it marks the anniversary of Lord Mahavir, a holy man, reaching Nirvana, or freedom of the soul. Sanjana explained that there are many other stories, to include the Rebirth of the Goddess Lakshmi, the Victory of Lord Krishna, the Legend of King Bali, the Return of the Pandavas in the Mahabharata, and, the story of Goddess Kali and how she destroyed demons!

Sanjana then spoke about how she and her family celebrate Diwali, to include “eating lots and lots of good Indian food”, wearing brand new Indian clothes (to include the beautiful outfit she was wearing!), dance performances, parties at friend’s houses, lighting diyas and making rangolis, prayer services, and spending time with family! Lastly, she shared some common themes of Diwali: Light over darkness, good over evil, knowledge over ignorance and new beginnings.

Students then had the opportunity to ask Sanjana questions about Diwali:

Do you go to a certain place to celebrate?
Yes! Tomorrow we are having a huge party at our house with over 70 people!

Can you eat dessert during Diwali?
Yes! There’s tons of yummy desserts!

Is there a place where you go for prayer service?
Yes, we go to a local temple.

To wrap up Sanjana’s presentation, Ms. Lien and Mr. Vélez performed This Little Light of Mine, and the entire assembly joined in singing. What a perfect song to celebrate the Festival of Lights!  Thank you, Sanjana, for your wonderful Diwali presentation! DCD encourages and empowers students to share their customs, celebrations and traditions, as our many varied cultures strengthen and enrich our DCD community.

Happy Diwali!