Festival of Light - Diwali.
Diwali celebrates the victory of light over darkness and good over evil, is based on the Hindu lunar calendar and typically falls between October and November each year. The festival, celebrated in India and in many other places with Indian communities, is celebrated over five days: Dhanteras, Chhoti Diwali, the main Diwali day (Lakshmi Pujan), Govardhan Puja, and Bhai Dooj.
Navratri/Durga Puja (October 3-12): A Hindu festival celebrating strength and resilience, culminating in Dussehra . Rosh Hashanah (October 3-4): Jewish New Year, marked by prayer and reflection. Yom Kippur (October 11-12): A Jewish day of atonement, involving fasting and prayer. Sukkot (October 17-23): A Jewish harvest festival with outdoor shelters (sukkahs). Simchat Torah (October 24-25): A Jewish holiday celebrating the giving of the Torah. Diwali /Bandhi Chorr Divas (November 1): A Hindu and Sikh festival of lights, celebrating the victory of good over evil. Eid al-Adha (June 9-10): A Muslim holiday commemorating the willingness of Abraham to sacrifice his son. Shavuot (June 10): A Jewish holiday celebrating the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai. The Hajj (June 5-9): The annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca. Day of Arafah (June 8): The culminating event of the Hajj. Trinity Sunday (June 15): A Christian celebration of the Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). Easter (March 23): A Christian holiday celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Ramadan (February 28 - March 30): The Muslim month of fasting.
Burns Night (January 25): A Scottish celebration of the life and poetry of Robert Burns. Chinese New Year (January 22): A major Chinese festival marking the beginning of a new year. Lunar New Year (January 22): Celebrated in many Asian countries and communities. Holi (March 15): A Hindu spring festival of colours, love, and happiness. Nowruz /Newroz (March 20-21): The Persian New Year, celebrated as a secular and religious holiday.
In this video, you will learn about a number of different religious and cultural celebrations that take place around the world. (Click the image on the left !)
Diwali - Rangoli
Rangoli is a colorful design made on the ground or floor during festivals like Diwali.
It’s usually created using colored powders, rice, flower petals, or sand, and often features patterns like flowers, geometric shapes, or peacocks. People make rangoli at the entrance of their homes to welcome guests and bring good luck.
You can think of it like a festive welcome mat—but handmade, bright, and temporary.
Creating rangoli art ! A thing of beauty !
A slideshow of some rangoli artwork.
Diwali - Diya
A diya is a small oil lamp, usually made of clay, used during festivals like Diwali.
It’s filled with an oil (coconut oil, lard or sunflower oil) or ghee (clarified butter) and has a cotton wick that’s lit to give a soft, warm glow. You could use us jute string or twisted length of cotton wool as a wick. People place diyas around their homes, in windows, and along pathways to symbolize light driving away darkness and to invite positivity and blessings.
If you don't have oil or ghee, you can, instead, pop a tea-light candle into your Diya. It's safer, and easier, especially when working with children !
You could think of it as a tiny, ancient night-light—but powered by fire instead of electricity.
How to make a Diya - a small votive candle used in Diwali.
Click on the image to the left to learn about 6 other cultural festivals in this webpage from Get Your Guide.
Celebrating Diwali
During this session, you will make a Diya, and create a piece of Rangoli art which will incorporate your Diwa.
Clay Paint Votive candles or sunflower oil and a 'wick'
Chalk, flour, or rice for the outlines Coloured powder such as powder paint, chalk, or sand, or coloured paper ripped into small pieces. Card or funnel (for the powder paint, chalk or sand)
Points to ponder ...
The only real hazard in this activity arises from using candles, so think about how to do this. with children, in a safe way.
Are they old enough to do it themselves ?
Would they be able to do it with some support ?
And then think about the abilities of the children ... the rangoli artwork is quite complex ... can you provide any templates to help them ? Might simply painting their design be easier ?
And last, but by no means least ... if you were to recognise and celebrate Diwali in your childcare centre, are there other religious or cultural festivals/ceremonies you really ought to cover as well ?
Inclusive means making sure everyone feels welcome, accepted, and able to take part, no matter their differences—like background, abilities, or beliefs. We need to be careful not to focus on any one culture to the exclusion of all others - we are, as we have said, a 'multi-cultural' society.
This being the case we should embrace all religious and cultural differences, including the important festivals and celebrations of different cultures, and we should strive to expose all children to these cultural differences. Only by doing this can we hope for the children to grow up with a full understanding of the world in which they live.