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Last Wednesday, Toshia’s Toddler class was very lucky to have Springmont grandparent and New York Times best-selling children’s book co-author Surishtha Sehgal visit the classroom to read and autograph her recently released book “It’s Diwali”! The Toddlers were entranced by the beautiful illustrations and rhyming text that introduces mehndi, rangoli, diyas, and the other traditions that make Diwali a fun-filled Festival of Light! 

Last Friday, Springmont parent Aarati Subramaniam treated Ellen’s Upper Elementary class to a special Diwali celebration. She shared that Diwali, which means 'row of lights' in Sanskrit, an ancient Indian language, is a festive five-day celebration that varies a bit by region. Aarati explained that families place lights or diyas outside their homes to welcome good fortune and that the light symbolizes good overcoming evil. Each day of Diwali is celebrated differently and includes cleaning your home, building artful designs called rangolis from colored rice and flowers, lots of fireworks, and spending time with friends and family to share gifts and feasts. Although they are traditionally made out of clay and contain oil and wicks, students made diyas out of recycled CDs, tealights, and sparkling gems. They also enjoyed traditional Indian music, took turns modeling beautiful Indian clothing, and made delicious, sweet treats called peda from butter, condensed milk, powdered milk, and cardamom. 

Diwali, or Deepavali, one of the most important Hindu holidays, is also celebrated by Buddhists, Jains, and Sikhs and is recognized as a time to forgive and make peace. The dates of Diwali vary each year according to the lunar calendar but in 2022 the five-day celebration began on October 22. To learn more, click here for a Diwali Toolkit from the Hindu American Foundation.