India’s biggest festival!
Diwali is a happy family festival that is usually busy, loud and full of lights!
This amazing festival is as important to our friends Malar, Siva and Kashika back in Melbourne, as the Christmas festivity is to us! They have shared these beautiful moments of the celebration.
Kashika
The youngest member of the family shares her thoughts
Kashika likes Diwali due to its nature of bringing people together. Many invite friends and family to their homes and let them embrace each other’s cultures. ”I especially enjoy it when others experience Diwali with me because I feel as if it brings everyone together even more and strengthens connections,” Kashika explains. Her favourite part of Diwali is definitely the food. The desserts always melt in your mouth! They are the best part of the celebration.
Diwali teaches us about love, sharing and being together.
Diwali comes from the Sanskrit word deepavali, which means ‘rows of lighted lamps’. The victory of light.
Diwali is a five-day festival that celebrates good over evil, and LIGHT over dark.
Candles, lamps, fireworks and firecrackers are an important part of the festival.
Diwali is the beginning of a new year in the Hindu calendar and is celebrated for five days.
- People clean their homes, buy gold or silver, new utensils and objects for their kitchens and new clothes.
- The decorations include clay lamps called diyas and they create rangoli at the entrances of homes; these are believed to promote health and wellbeing and keep away darkness and negativity.
Rangoli: a traditional form of art in which pictures are drawn with materials such as coloured rice, flour or sand.
Wow!
Diwali Menu
3. The festival begins on day three! The most important day. Special prayers to the goddess Lakshmi who brings good luck and the feast ‘sparks off’ with fireworks and firecrackers.
- The fourth day of the Hindu new year, people visit family and friends and take gifts of clothes and sweets. My daughter Annie and her family enjoyed this festival so much.
- The last day of Diwali, brothers visit their married sisters.
LESSON TIPS
STEAM IN EDUCATION
This approach acknowledges the importance of the ‘inter-connected’ nature of science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics in education and how these skills can be useful in a world of technological advancement. It’s all about ‘thinking outside the box’ in order to provide creative solutions and develop critical thinking skills.
STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics). The designs are symmetrical and the colours are vibrant: the symmetry of the design of rangoli allows students to link visual art and culture to mathematical concepts.
Simple English
India’s biggest festival
Kashika is the youngest member of the family.
The dessert is the best part of the celebration.
The third day is the most important.
What is a superlative?
Something that is the best!
For adjectives with one syllable we add est. India’s biggest festival.
For adjectives with two or more syllables we use most = the third day is the most important.
I think it’s the brightest festival of all!
