Festival of lights
Lansdale Montessori School celebrates Diwali
Students and parents of all backgrounds gathered at Lansdale Montessori School Thursday morning to celebrate and learn about Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights.
The school has hosted a Diwali celebration for the past several years with different families taking charge each time. This year’s leader was Kiran Dahale, whose 4-year-old daughter attends LMS. Dahale, originally from India, also participated in the program last year.
The event began with a short presentation on the background of Diwali: It is a five-day festival celebrated throughout Asia. Most participants in Thursday’s program were from India, though it is also a national holiday in places like Nepal, Singapore and Myanmar. “Diwali is like Christmas for us,” Dahale said.
Next, approximately 12 children took the stage to
perform a traditional Indian dance. The kids met after school twice a week for about six weeks to learn and practice the dance. They seemed to pick it up well, Dahale said, especially considering some of the smallest children were just 3 years old. This was the first time performing onstage for most of the children.
Students were given gift bags filled with candy and a clay pot meant to hold a candle. Teach- ers were given bindis, the colorful decorations worn on the foreheads of women in South Asia. Many of the parents in attendance were wearing their own bindis along with traditional saris.
The celebration ended with Dahale taking questions from students about Diwali. Clara Roberti’s 5-year-old daughter asked why people celebrate the holiday. Dahale explained that it was to celebrate the triumph of good over evil.
Roberti was attending the event because her daughter had been excited about it. “She was excited to learn about the different culture,” Roberti said. “I’m appreciative that the school gives us that opportunity.”
Nesrine Zlam, who has twin daughters at LMS, felt the same way. “It’s important to promote diversity,” she said, adding that it was good for the kids to go off to first grade understanding that although various cultures may be different, one is not better than another.