Diwali is the festival of lights which is celebrated by millions of Hindus, Sikhs and Jains around the world, including those that are in New Zealand. The reasons people celebrate Diwali varies with the different religions. For some Diwali coincides with harvest and new year celebrations, for others it is a festival of new beginnings and the triumph of good over evil, and light over darkness.
Over the years I have delved deep into how festivals can be acknowledged at Our Kids. Diwali is very special to me as I am Indian, and I was interested in how I could make this festival more meaningful for young children. Kimberley Crisp in her book Heart of Christmas says, rituals that create love and leave rich bank of sensorial impressions are sent into the child’s heart and will be remembered and continued. When I asked my colleague what she remembered about Christmas, the first thing that came to her mind were the smells of a real Christmas tree. I had similar memories of Diwali as a child, it was the sensory memories and time together with my family that stood out the most. Therefore, acknowledging Diwali for me is about providing meaningful experiences and traditions that fill a lifetime of cherished memories. Authentic experiences are sensory, and they will be remembered unlike artificial activities that are disconnected from life. It is about building young children’s understanding of traditions, why the festival takes place, the activities that happen, any foods that are associated, and the history about the festival.
The festivity lasted for several days, I can remember the excitement of new clothes, jewellery, and beautiful decor around the house during this time. We cleaned and washed the front yard before dawn after which I, my mom and my sisters spent long hours doing elaborate rangoli designs. It was fun and therapeutic drawing the rangoli. Lunch was a huge spread of spicy curries, savouries, and sweet dishes. A lot of my childhood memories are associated with the smells of my mum’s cooking. In the evening was fun, I really enjoyed arranging and lighting the diyas by the door, balconies, and windowsills. I loved the fireworks, I was most excited from lighting the loudest especially the ones that had 1000 in a chain. Diwali was also about giving- anybody who came home were offered sweets, if we went to someone’s house, friends, or neighbours we would be offered sweets. So, thinking about what has left a lasting impression on us can tell us what experiences we can provide our young children.
