about on diwali Diwali Celebrations Around the World

One of the oldest and the widest celebrated festivals, Diwali occupies a special place in the Hindu calendar. The word Diwali meaning "festival of lights" springs from the original Sanskrit word "Deepavali" which means a row or series of lights. If an aerial picture of an area is clicked on the night of this festival, the view would be that of brightly-illuminated land
While Diwali is celebrated by people of different regions, the festivities and rituals differ while the spirit of ecstasy remains the same everywhere. 

Diwali 2018 Date

When is Diwali? : Wednesday, 7 Novenmber 2018

Although Diwali is an extended five-day celebration, the main festival falls eighteen days after Dussehra. It is towards the latter half of the year in the months of October and November that the festival takes place. According to the Hindu calendar of the year 2018, the darkest night is falling on November 7 in the month Kartik, and this day will be marked as Diwali this year.

Five Days of Diwali

The fact that makes this festival so popular and significant is the series of rituals which are not confined to just a single day. People usually begin the preparations weeks before the festival, commencing with the renovation of houses and work places; cleaning and painting of buildings; shopping for decoration of houses, gifts for the loved ones, new clothes and several other things required to enjoy the festival. Houses and workplaces are adorned with flowers, jhaalars, kandils, etc. Rangolis of flowers and dried powdered colours brighten the entrances of several households. The following five days together make this festival complete:

Dhanteras

The five days merriment starts off with Dhanteras. Buildings are decked with rows of neon lights and people come out in the markets to purchase gold, silver or at least one new kitchen ware as part of the Dhanteras ritual. Along with the celebration of the birth of Goddess Lakshmi who is the Goddess of wealth and prosperity, it is also a day of the birth of Goddess Dhanvantari, the keeper of health and healing. Some people believe it to be the day when the forces of good and evil churn the cosmic ocean of milk.

Naraka Chaturdasi

Commonly known as Chhoti Diwali, Naraka Chaturdasi is the second day of the celebration. It is the time for extensive house cleaning, decoration and making colourful floor (Rangoli) and Henna patterns. Towns and cities witness the beginning of socialisation from this day. The scene of most of India is usually that of people buying gifts, visiting relatives and friends and exchanging pleasantries.

Diwali

The third day is considered the main event of the five days celebrations. The main rituals and rites are performed on the evening of Diwali with puja offered to Goddess Lakshmi, Lord Ganesha, Goddess Saraswati and Lord Kuber and other gods, varying as per different communities. It is believed that on the night of Diwali, Goddess of wealth Lakshmi visits the Earth. To acknowledge her presence and to invite her blessings to one's house, people light diyas on their doors, windows, verandahs and balconies. This is followed with children and adults dressed in their best fineries coming out of their houses and burning fire crackers.


This day additionally marks the beginning of New Year as per the Vikram Samvat calendar and owing to this traders and merchants begin their new fiscal year with the blessings of Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Kuber.

Padwa

The day after Diwali is observed as Padwa which is taken as an opportunity to celebrate the institution of marriage. The exchange of gifts takes place between husbands and wives. Some families also follow a ritual, as part of Padwa celebration, where the brother of a woman brings his sister home for celebrations from her marital home. Several regions are known to pay devotion to Lord Krishna on this sacred day by performing Goverdhan Puja.

Bhai Duj or Bhaiya Dooj

The festivities end with the celebration of the bond between brothers and sisters. Often known as Bhai Duj or Bhaiya Dyyuj, this merriment is labelled "Tika" in some regions of India. Similar to Raksha Bandhan but with different rites and rituals, Bhai Duj becomes an occasion when siblings and cousins take time out to spend with each other. Many communities revel by feasting together and with the sisters acknowledging the love and trust of the brother-sister relationship by adorning the foreheads of the brothers with vermilion and dry rice. It signifies their prayers for the well-being of their brothers which are duly returned with same warmth in the form of gifts by brothers. 

Beliefs on Diwali

Like most Hindu festivals, Diwali too is believed to be the celebration of triumph of good over evil. Owing to its universal beliefs, Diwali is celebrated by Jain and Sikh communities as well. Believers see this day as the one where love takes over despair, light defeats darkness and knowledge asserts its supremacy over ignorance. As per the three major philosophical schools of Hinduism, i.e., Vedanta, Yoga and Samkhya, the Atman is known to be beyond the physical existence. Expressing the transcendental side of Hinduism, this belief holds importance for the festival of Diwali as it is understood to be the unveiling of the true knowledge of one's real nature, giving way to spiritual awakening.