FESTIVAL OF DIWALI

NOVEMBER 13, 2012

Saturday night we were invited to an awesome party, it was a pre-Diwali celebration, since many of the people would be in school or working on today-Tuesday. It was awesome, we danced the night away, ate a lot of good Hindu vegetarian food and celebrated Light, the eternal victor over what is call evil.

Diwali is the Hindu Festival of Lights. It is the celebration of good over evil. Diwali is a five day festival, which starts on Dhanteras (Dhantrayodashi), celebrated on thirteenth lunar day of Krishna paksha (dark fortnight) of the Hindu calendar month Ashwin and ends on Bhaubeej, celebrated on second lunar day of Shukla paksha (bright fortnight) of the Hindu calendar month Kartik. On the solar Gregorian Calendar this normally happens between mid-October to mid-November.

Diwali comes from a Sanskrit word that means, rows of lights (lamps). This is the most important festival (feast) of Hinduism. It also represents a time of Enlightenment and revelation knowledge. In Judaism, the Festival of Lights is called Hanukkah, celebrated in December. Jesus even observed it. Christians celebrate Christmas with lights and rejoicing in December. Muslims celebrate Ramadan in the lunar 9th month, the end of the celebration is called - Eid. Eid is celebrated with lights, normally in the Fall, with rejoicing and food.

Diwali is celebrated with fireworks, eating sweets, exchanging sweets and lots of dancing. This reminded me of Sukkot, the Feast of Tabernacles - "Weep not, eat the sweet, give to others and rejoice, for the joy of the Lord is you strength." Nehemiah 8

Isn't it amazing how similar the beliefs and practices are of different religions and cultures? I think the Creator knows exactly what He/She is doing and I think it's all good. Here we have all the great world religions with very similar practices around the same time of the year - Hinduism, being the oldest. Hinduism, Judaism, Christianity and Islam all observe the celebration of Light, proclaiming that Good will triumph over evil - light will dispel the darkness.

Isn't God all and in all? Isn't Christ the true light that lights every man, however, in his own order? What would happen if religious people spent more time looking for similarities instead of differences?

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