Diwali falls in either October or November each year, depending on the cycle of the moon. Information on Diwali (Deepawali) - Festival of Lights When you visit this site, it may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. Small business owners give gifts or special bonus payments to their employees between Dhanteras and Lakshmi Pujan. After firing, the fine dust particles get settled on the surrounding surfaces which are packed with chemicals like copper, zinc, sodium, lead, magnesium, cadmium and pollutants like oxides of sulfur and nitrogen. [177][s], The use of fireworks also causes an increase in the number of burn injuries in India during Diwali. [143] In Gujarat, Annakut is the first day of the new year and celebrated through the purchase of essentials, or sabras (literally, "good things in life"), such as salt, offering prayers to Krishna and visiting temples. Facts about Diwali 1) Diwali is an important religious festival originating in India. [7] The Jains observe their own Diwali which marks the final liberation of Mahavira,[25][26] the Sikhs celebrate Bandi Chhor Divas to mark the release of Guru Hargobind from a Mughal prison. [41], Diwali (English: /dwli/)[9] or Divali[44] is from the Sanskrit dpvali meaning "row or series of lights". The name is derived from the Sanskrit term dipavali, meaning row of lights. The festival generally symbolizes the victory of light over darkness. ", Christopher H. 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What is Diwali and how do Australian communities celebrate it? ( See calendar ). Diwali's date is determined by the India calendar and changes every year, ranging from October to November. Ritually, in honour of Lakshmi, the female player always wins. Diwali (Deepavali) Nov 27, 2023: Guru Nanak's Birthday: Dec 25, 2023: Christmas Day: Which are the other holidays in India? Important Read: Tips to Celebrate Diwali in 2021 History and Significance of Diwali Diwali 2023 dates | When Is Diwali/ Deepawali in 2023? Happy Diwali Festival 2021: its meaning and traditional Diwali food Diwali is also known as Deepavali, Dipavali, Dewali, Deepawali, or the Festival of Lights. In the diaspora, all the countries in the world outside of the Indian subcontinent where Indian people have settled, Diwali is considered a public celebration open to Hindus and anyone else. Diwali is celebrated every year in either October or November, based on the lunar cycle. In some communities, husbands will give gifts to their wives, while in others parents with newly married children invite them and their spouses to enjoy a meal and receive gifts. [166] Stock markets like NSE and BSE in India are typically closed during Diwali, with the exception of a Diwali Muhurat trading session for an hour in the evening to coincide with the beginning of the new year. Some 200,000 New Yorkers celebrate Diwali each year, per state Assemblymember Jenifer Rajkumar . What are the 5 Diwali Days in 2022? [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. Dev Deepawali or Dev Diwali takes place on the full-moon night of the Hindu month of Kartika. Sanskrit inscriptions in stone and copper mentioning Diwali, occasionally alongside terms such as Dipotsava, Dipavali, Divali and Divalige, have been discovered at numerous sites across India. Bhalla said the dates change each year based on the Hindu lunar calendar, but typically happens in October and November. DIWALI. [48] The festivities begin two days before amvasy, on Dhanteras, and extend two days after, until the second (or 17th) day of the month of Kartik. In 2021, Diwali is on November 4. Diwali was not a public holiday in Pakistan from 1947 to 2016. "When Is Diwali in 2021, 2022 and 2023?" Furthermore, it is a celebration of the day Rama returned to his kingdom in Ayodhya with his wife Sita and his brother Lakshmana after defeating the demon Ravana. This year, Diwali begins on Monday 24 October on the Gregorian calendar. Diwali is the symbol of the victory of good over evil, of hope over despair and of knowledge over ignorance. Diwali is one of the most widely celebrated religious festivals worldwide, it takes place every year between October and November and it commemorates the spiritual victory of light over darkness. The name of this festival is derived from 'avali,' which means 'row,' and 'deepa,' meaning "clay lamps." 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. Today it is the "festival of lights," attached to various mythological stories, particularly tales about Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth. Diwali is also an important festival in Jainism. [186], (federal) = federal holidays, (abbreviation) = state/territorial holidays, (religious) = religious holidays, (cultural) = holiday related to a specific racial/ethnic group or sexual minority, (week) = week-long holidays, (month) = month-long holidays, (36) = Title 36 Observances and Ceremonies. Deepavali means a row of lights, where 'deep' means light and 'avali' means row. Dates for 2020 to 2025." Amavasya is thought of as the darkest night of the year and is holy to Hindus. In some parts of India, the day after Lakshmi Puja is marked with the Govardhan Puja and Balipratipada (Padwa). Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. [112][113], Rituals and preparations for Diwali begin days or weeks in advance, typically after the festival of Dusshera that precedes Diwali by about 20 days. Monier Monier Williams (2008 updated, Harvard University), Sanskrit English dictionary, . Diwali festivities include a celebration of sights, sounds, arts and flavours. Diwali takes places every year, either in October or November, depending on the position of the Moon. Holi Dates: When is Holi in 2021, 2022 and 2023? When Is Diwali (Deepavali)? In 2023, Diwali is on November 12. All About Diwali 2022: When & How to Celebrate | CompareRemit [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). This year, it begins in the first week of November from 2nd-6th. (2021, September 4). Every autumn, the observance sees millions of people attend. Here is the schedule for Diwali 2022: Day 1: October 22, 2022 Trayodashi - Dhanteras; Day 2: October 23, 2022 Chaturdashi - Choti Diwali; Day 3: October 24, 2022 Amavasya - Diwali It is intended to signify a brother's duty to protect his sister as well as sisters blessing their brothers. For the Jain community, the festival commemorates the enlightenment and liberation (moksha) of Mahavira, the most recent of the Jain Tirthankaras, from the cycle of life and death (samsara). These lamps symbolize the light of inner spirituality that protects us from the spiritual darkness that threatens to engulf us. [122] A mythological interpretation of this festive day is the destruction of the asura (demon) Narakasura by Krishna, a victory that frees 16,000 imprisoned princesses kidnapped by Narakasura. The 5 days of Diwali Gambling, especially in the form of card games, is encouraged as a way of ensuring good luck in the coming year and in remembrance of the games of dice played by Shiva and Parvati on Mount Kailasa or similar contests between Radha and Krishna. About Diwali. Some suggest he lived in the 5th-century BCE contemporaneously with the Buddha. Diwali Decor. It is mentioned in Sanskrit texts dating from the fourth century CE but was likely practiced for many hundreds of years before that. The fifth day, called Bhai Dooj, Bhai Tika, or Bhai Bij, celebrates the bond between brothers and sisters. [43] In western states such as Gujarat, and certain northern Hindu communities of India, the festival of Diwali signifies the start of a new year. In North India the festival also celebrates the royal homecoming of Rama (along with Sita, Lakshmana, and Hanuman) to the city of Ayodhya after defeating Ravana, the 10-headed king of the demons, thus connecting the festival with the holiday of Dussehra. Grewal, a scholar of Sikhism and Sikh history, Diwali in the Sikh tradition is older than the sixth Guru Hargobind legend. The festival falls sometime between October and November. Patrice J. Williams is a travel and style content creator, fact-checker and author of the thrift shopping book. Such events are also mentioned in Sikh historical records. 80 New Diwali Wishes, Quotes & Images For Your Loved Ones!