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Diwali is one of the world’s oldest religious holidays. The word Diwali derives from Sanskrit and means “a row of lights.” Like many Hindu holidays, Diwali is synchronized with the lunar calendar so the actual dates vary from year to year and typically falls between October and November. This year, Diwali is on Nov. 14. Known as “Festival of Lights,” the holiday is celebrated annually by Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, and Jains throughout India and across the globe. While each faith has its own historical legends and celebratory events, the holiday represents the same symbolic victory of good over evil, knowledge over ignorance, and light over spiritual darkness.
FAMILY MATTERS
A season for light in the darkness
Remember how hectic Novembers used to be?
The remains of October awaited cleanup. Chaniya cholis, pooja paraphernalia and dandiya sticks had to be reassessed and reorganized. Styrofoam gravestones and skeletons damp from fall storms had to be rounded up from front yards and bid farewell for a year.
GUEST COLUMN
CELEBRATION AND GATHERING IN THE TIME OF COVID
At the end of 2019, the world learned of a new virus that has since spread across the globe. Along with it has come fear, the unknown, and the necessity of adjusting our own lives to fight an invisible, yet very real, enemy. Consequently, the importance of human connection has struggled to find expression eight months into this plague called Covid-19, as has maintaining a sense of normalcy in daily life, special occasions and celebratory gatherings.
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