Written by Guest Blogger Reema Rani
Follow her @wannabeabookworm & @wannabeayogi
Diwali is one of the biggest holidays in India. It is more commonly referred to as the festival of lights. All over the country, there are various rituals, traditions, and meanings tied to this day.
The main story, for Diwali, is about a kingdom known as Ayodhya. There lived a king with his three wives. They had 4 sons, and all lived harmoniously with one another. When the time came for the oldest, Rama, to be crowned king, the second wife demanded her son, Bharat, be crowned instead. Rama, his wife Sita, and his brother Laxman were banished to the jungles for 14 years. The entire kingdom was heartbroken. Bharat, also heartbroken by his mother’s cruel request, demanded Rama to return after 14 years to resume his kingdom. He agreed. The threesome stayed in the jungle happily until Rama’s wife Sita was kidnapped by the demon king Ravarn. Rama and his brother Laxman, with the help of the other jungle animals, went to save Sita. It is said that Rama was actually a reincarnation of God, who had taken birth to cleanse the world of evil, and that this was part of the plan all along. Rama emerged victorious! On his way home, Rama found his pathway lit with diyas, or small candles. The kingdom rejoiced at the return of their beloved king, Rama.
In a nutshell, this day represents victory of good over evil. In another way, light over dark. The more spiritual meaning is to look within, to our own inner light, for us to also let good within us triumph over evil. Put another way, to let knowledge drive out ignorance. Some families worship the goddess Laxmi, who represents prosperity and wealth. The meanings can go on and on, and that is part of the beauty. Each person can find their own meaning.
To celebrate, families typically wear new clothes, visit with one another, prepare feasts, and even have some fireworks. Some families do prayers, others meditate. Along with dressing up, comes massive decorations of flowers, Rangoli, lights and diyas.
You can also learn more about Diwali at home by reading books about the day, noting that any culture is not a monolith. Variances of course occur, and that is part of the beauty. Even as an Indian, we ask each other, “How does your family celebrate?” You can look up simple Rangoli designs and do them in chalk. It is actually quite fun and simple.
A note on appreciation versus appropriation: there is a fine line between the two. Below are some questions/thoughts to keep in mind when exploring other cultures and their traditions.
How can we learn about other cultures and traditions, and possibly honor them without causing offense? Personally, it is something I grapple with often. While there may not be a hard and fast answer, I think it is important to approach these things with respect and understand the power dynamics.
For example, getting a “henna tattoo” is great, but it is actually called Mehndi and is done on your hands mostly during festive occasions. When and where did this enter mainstream US culture? Is it ok to just do for fun?
To further understand and learn the difference between Appreciation vs Appropriation please click this link.
Written by Guest Blogger Reema Rani. Reema is a wife and mother of two. You can follow her on Instagram where she gives great suggestions to help diversify your library at home for your children! @wannabeabookworm & @wannabeayogi
Rangoli Activity
Unfortunately, we have been unsuccessful in finding a kid's show that really highlights the meaning of Diwali. Reema was so gracious to write this blog for our followers to learn more, as well as suggest some great children’s books you can read to your kids about Diwali!
Book Suggestion from Reema:
Diwali: The Magical Diyas by Anitha Rathod - Logan and I read and enjoyed this book. You can find it on Amazon in paperback or download it onto your Kindle!
Binny’s Diwali by Thrifty Umrigar
The Diwali Gift by Shweta Chopra & Shuchi Mehta
Rangoli are designs that are created on the floor during Diwali. The designs are usually passed down through the generations within families and are thought to bring good luck.
Estimated activity time: 30 minutes
Materials Needed:
Rangoli images
Chalk
Step 1: Read blog and discussion/thoughts to yourself so you can be better prepared to help educate your child on the beautiful holiday of Diwali!
Step 2: Pick one of the books suggested above to read with your child.
Step 3: Make Rangoli chalk outline design on concrete (such as driveway or sidewalk) and help your children color them in with bright color chalk!
Step 4: Discussion points to talk with your child while coloring the rangoli.
It's important to learn about other cultures and their traditions to help our children grow up and be welcoming of others. It is also important to understand those cultures and traditions to truly appreciate their uniqueness and similarities to our own! We connect to people through similarities however we appreciate people through their uniqueness.
You can ask your child what parts of the Diwali tradition do they find beautiful and fun?
What is the meaning of Diwali? (This one you may need to help them understand further as some younger kids might get distracted with the fun parts of the tradition rather than the meaning.)
Do you celebrate any traditions at home that have some aspects of Diwali? Example: Lighting candles, decorating, wearing new clothes, being with family, lighting firecrackers?
Note: Logan then wanted to design his own Rangoli which we then colored in!
Step 5: Share the fun you are having with us on Social Media! Tag us @curiouscouchpotatoes when you try any of our activities.
Jeanette's Educational Insights:
There is no better educational lesson than one that teaches the richness of diversity. Each culture loves its own celebrations and traditions and what could be more exciting to a child than to learn about the traditions and celebrations of others. Instead of something being strange or different, children love to embrace new and exciting experiences.I am always amazed at how a variety of traditions often have similar themes and practices. The symbol of light is present in so many celebrations. Help your child find similarities in different traditions and even be excited about differences!