Diwali, as known as the Festival of Lights is considered one of the most beautiful Hindu holidays. It is the holiday for merchants, and is primarily dedicated to Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and beauty. For Diwali the houses are decorated with strings of electric lights, candles, or oil lamps. People dress in their finest new clothes, feasts are prepared, and fireworks, especially fire crackers, are set off.

Diwali is a series of five unrelated holidays, each occurring right after the other. It starts with Dhana Trayodashi, is the New Year of Business. The second day, Naraka Chaturdashi, commemorates the defeat of the evil demon Narakarasura by Vishnu. The third day, Lakshmi Poojan, is dedicated to the worship of the Lakshmi, goddess of wealth and beauty. Bali Pratipada or Bali Worship Day, is the fourth day. The last day is Yama, the holiday of brothers and sisters. In some places, the first holiday of the five is most important, in others, it is the fourth, while in others all are celebrated equally.

Preparations for Diwali start days before the holiday. Houses are thoroughly cleaned, and sometimes even repainted. Doorways are decorated with garland. Strings of electric lights are hung. In the doorway, special designs are drawn with powder to bring good luck. Before the end of the year merchants try to settle their accounts with all their customers. Their books are then closed out for the year. The merchants will gather up a pile of silver coins, and say prayers to Lalshmi. The coins are then stained to look like gold. These gold coins which symbolize the goddess Lakshmi, are considered good luck.

Schools are closed the day before Diwali, in preparation for the holiday. The night before Diwali all the lanterns, candles, oil lamps, and electric lights decorating the houses are lit. The lights are lit so that the goddess Lakshmi can find her way to bless each house that night.

The next morning, New Years Day, it is customary to bath at dawn and put on new clothes. For lunch, a traditional meal of 14 different kinds of food is served. The diner meal is lit with 14 lamps. The number 14, is used to honor the moon which changes phases every 14 days.

The second day, Naraka Chaturdashi, stories are told about the evil demon Narakarasura. The demon would take prisoner any beautiful woman he came across. Narakarasura eventually accumulated 16,000 captives. Some of his captives included the daughters of gods. Vishnu was asked by the woman of heaven and earth to intercede. Because Narakarasura was pious in all other things except his treatment of woman, Vishnu had difficulty defeating him. Upon his execution, Narakarasura requested that in reward for all the good things he had done, that this day be made a holiday in his honor.

On the third day, Lakshmi Poojan, most businesses are closed. This is in honor of Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth.

The fourth day is Bali Pratipada, or Bali Worship day. On this day, the sacred animals are treated with special care. Cleaned, and adorned with garland, they are paraded through the streets. In the evening, lanterns are waved around the sacred animals to ward off evil spirits.

The fifth day, Bhaubeej or Yama, is dedicated to bothers and sisters. Every man (or boy) is supposed to attend a special holiday meal with his sister. Each sister asks the gods to bless her brother. In return, the brother gives a gift to his sister. If someone has no sister or brother, a cousin will participate instead.

See Also

Holiday Catalogue

Hindu Observances