Hindu festival lights up traditions
Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, is one of the most popular and dramatic festivals in India. Envision a glorious spectacle of colors and light displays, entire cities lit up against the dark backdrop of a cool autumn evening.
The holiday celebrates the triumph of good over evil, when light sweeps the darkness away. But you don’t have to travel too far to see Diwali in action; if you visit many parts of the South Bay during the second week of this year (the exact date changes every year, since the Hindu calendar is based on the lunar cycle), you will, in all likelihood, be greeted by gorgeous displays and festivities at the homes of the area’s many Hindu families. And if you live there, you’ve probably had an Indian neighbor knock on your door with a plate of sweets and treats (I hope!).
As some of you might know, I grew up in a multifaith family and we celebrated Diwali in a modest fashion. In some ways, it reminds me of Christmas with my mom’s family: We would run rows of colored lights on a string across our windows and light the house up with diyas — little lamps made from clay in which a candle wick was immersed in oil and lit. (These days, I stick a tealight candle in the diya.) We’d wear new clothes, visit the relatives on my dad’s side of the family, attend a puja (a religious prayer ceremony) and get to play with fireworks.
The dinner table is as bright and colorful as the light displays that make this festival so marvelous. The menu was always detailed and extensive, and the mere thought of having more than 10 dishes at a meal made me very excited. Since Diwali is a Hindu festival, there is no form of meat, poultry, eggs or seafood on the menu. Several dishes are traditionally cooked, fried flatbreads like puris are prepared, and large platters of aromatic basmati rice are prepared along with a variety of vegetable sides and desserts.
As an adult, I try to celebrate both sides of my heritage, the Hindu and the Catholic side. It reminds me of my roots and helps me reconnect the past with family traditions.