The festival usually falls between mid-October and mid-November. In the lead-up to Diwali, celebrants prepare by cleaning, renovating, and decorating their homes and workplaces with diyas (oil lamps) and rangolis (colorful art circle patterns). Iff a festival falls in the waning phase of the moon, these two traditions identify the same lunar day as falling in two different (but successive) masa. Residents of Amritsar lit lamps throughout the city to celebrate the occasion. Each day of Diwali is marked differently. October 18, 2019 By Simran Jeet Singh (RNS) With more than a billion people celebrating Diwali every year, the festival is one of the largest and most significant religious observances. The names and events of the individual days of Diwali are as follows: The first day, known as Dhanteras, is dedicated to cleaning homes and purchasing small items of gold. The day also marks a major shopping day to purchase new utensils, home equipment, jewelry, firecrackers, and other items. "When Is Diwali (Deepavali)? [162][q] ASSOCHAM, a trade organisation in India, forecasted that online shopping alone to be over 300 billion (US$3.8billion) over the 2017 Diwali season. Diwali Celebrations Dates in Different Regions Diwali 2023 (Deepavali 2023) is on Sunday, November 12th in India. What is Diwali? While Diwali spans five days, the holiday reaches its peak on day three this year, falling on Oct. 24, 2022. Diwali Decor. [143], The last day of the festival, the second day of the bright fortnight of Kartik, is called Bhai Duj (literally "brother's day"[146]), Bhau Beej, Bhai Tilak or Bhai Phonta. The festival isn't celebrated in Kerala though. [140], This day ritually celebrates the bond between the wife and husband,[143] and in some Hindu communities, husbands will celebrate this with gifts to their wives. This year, Diwali or Deepavali will take place on October 24. [43], The puja and rituals in the Bengali Hindu community focus on Kali, the goddess of war, instead of Lakshmi. Dipa oil lamps are often lit for Diwali celebrations. According to Pintchman, the start of the 5-day Diwali festival is stated in some popular contemporary sources as the day Goddess Lakshmi was born from Samudra manthan, the churning of the cosmic ocean of milk by the Devas (gods) and the Asuras (demons) a Vedic legend that is also found in several Puranas such as the Padma Purana, while the night of Diwali is when Lakshmi chose and wed Vishnu. The common celebratory practices are known as the festival of light, however there are minor differences from state to state in India. Next year (2024) November 1 (Friday) Last year (2022) October 24 (Monday) This holiday gets its name from the rows of clay lamps that Indians light just outside their houses. Diwali is the Festival of Lights, observed by Indian communities around the world. The Catholic dicastery Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, founded as Secretariat for non-Christians by Pope Paul VI, began sending official greetings and the Pope's message to the Hindus on Diwali in the mid-1990s. "When Is Diwali in 2021, 2022 and 2023?" Diwali, also spelled Divali, one of the major religious festivals in Hinduism, Jainism, and Sikhism, lasting for five days from the 13th day of the dark half of the lunar month Ashvina to the second day of the light half of the lunar month Karttika. Every year the festival falls either in November or in October and that depends on how the cycle of moon is going in that particular year. The celebration of Diwali aligns with the new moon, so it's celebrated on a different day each year. [79] Throughout the epic, Rama's decisions were always in line with dharma (duty) and the Diwali festival serves as a reminder for followers of hinduism to maintain their dharma in day to day life. It is the main day of the Diwali festival. [52] In Nepal, it is also a multiday festival, although the days and rituals are named differently, with the climax being called the Tihar festival by Hindus and Swanti festival by Buddhists. Diwali is one of the most revered and a pious festival deeply entrenched in Hindu culture. Most of the injuries sustained are Group I type burns (minor) requiring only outpatient care. It is a day off for the general population, and schools and most businesses are closed. [68] In his paper on The Lunar Year of the Hindus, Jones, then based in Bengal, noted four of the five days of Diwali in the autumn months of Aswina-Cartica [sic] as the following: Bhutachaturdasi Yamaterpanam (2nd day), Lacshmipuja dipanwita (the day of Diwali), Dyuta pratipat Belipuja (4th day), and Bhratri dwitiya (5th day). What are the 5 Diwali Days in 2022? For the Jain community, the festival commemorates the enlightenment and liberation (moksha) of Mahavira, the most recent of the Jain Tirthankaras, from the cycle of life and death (samsara). On this day, sisters will give gifts to their brothers and invite them to enjoy a meal. Among Hindus the most widespread custom is the lighting of diyas (small earthenware lamps filled with oil) on the night of the new moon to invite the presence of Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth. Jean Mead, How and why Do Hindus Celebrate Divali?, John Bowker, ed., Oxford Concise Dictionary of World Religions (Oxford UP, 2000), See Festivals, Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, "2022 Diwali Puja Calendar, Deepavali Puja Calendar for New Delhi, NCT, India", "Diwali 2020 Date in India: When is Diwali in 2020? According to McDermott, while the Durga Puja is the largest Bengali festival and it can be traced to the 16th-century or earlier, the start of Kali puja tradition on Diwali is traceable to no earlier than about the mid-18th-century during the reign of Raja Krishnacandra Ray. [177][s], The use of fireworks also causes an increase in the number of burn injuries in India during Diwali. The dates change each year because they are based on the Hindu lunar calendar, but it typically happens in October and November. A few, notably the Mughal emperor Akbar, welcomed and participated in the festivities,[62][63] whereas others banned such festivals as Diwali and Holi, as Aurangzeb did in 1665. Retrieved from https://www.learnreligions.com/when-is-diwali-1539426. Meaning "rows of lighted lamps," Diwali is a celebration of light over darkness for different cultures across the world, especially South Asia. Corrections? Fireworks are often set off in the evening to celebrate Diwali. For planning purposes, here are the dates for the main celebrations for Diwali for the next few years: 2019: Sunday, October 27 (starts on October 25, ends on October 29) 2020: Saturday, November 14 (November 12-16) 2021: Thursday, November 4 (November 2-6) 2022: Monday, October 24 (October 22-26) 2023: Wednesday, November 7 (November 5-9) Goddess Lakshmi, the goddess of good fortune and prosperity, is the primary deity worshiped during Diwali. It is a national holiday in India which marks its independence from the United Kingdom on August 15, 1947. This is believed to please Yama (Yamraj), the god of death, and to ward off untimely death. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your device and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. One particular firework called anar (fountain) has been found to be responsible for 65% of such injuries, with adults being the typical victims. While different historical events are observed in different regions and by different faiths, Diwali represents the triumph of light over darkness, and knowledge over ignorance for all the cultures that celebrate it. While the dates vary annually based on the Hindu lunar calendar, Diwali usually occurs in October or November. Diwali was not a public holiday in Pakistan from 1947 to 2016. What makes Dev Deepawali different from Diwali? Diwali is for mere mortals; Dev Deepawali is the festival of the gods. Make sure you check the dates online if you plan on visiting India during Diwali. The main festival is on Sunday, but festivities begin on Friday, a day called Dhanteras. Major celebrations occur on the third day of the five-day long festival . [173], Diwali was first celebrated in the White House by George W. Bush in 2003 and its religious and historical significance was officially recognized by the United States Congress in 2007. [171][172] Since 2009, Diwali has been celebrated every year at 10 Downing Street, the residence of the British Prime Minister. The word Deepawali comes from the Sanskrit word deep, which means an Indian lantern/lamp. The second day, called NarakaChaturdashiorChotiDiwali, commemorates Krishnas destruction of Narakasura; prayers are also offered for the souls of ancestors. [116][114] Women and children decorate doorways within homes and offices with rangolis, colourful designs made from rice flour, flower petals, colored rice or colored sand,[23] while the boys and men decorate the roofs and walls of family homes, markets, and temples and string up lights and lanterns. [116] Some communities, particularly those active in Ayurvedic and health-related professions, pray or perform havan rituals to Dhanvantari on Dhanteras. Diwali also known as Deepavali is the . [140] According to Handelman and Shulman, as quoted by Pintchman, this legend is a Hindu metaphor for the cosmic process for creation and dissolution of the world through the masculine destructive power, as represented by Shiva, and the feminine procreative power, represented by Parvati, where twelve reflects the number of months in the cyclic year, while thirty are the number of days in its lunisolar month. Here is the schedule for Diwali 2022: Day 1: October 22, 2022 Trayodashi - Dhanteras; Day 2: October 23, 2022 Chaturdashi - Choti Diwali; Day 3: October 24, 2022 Amavasya - Diwali Here is everything you need to know about the festival and how it is celebrated. Diwali celebrations burst into life on the third day of the five day festival of lights, which falls between October and November with a changing date each year. The word "Deepavali" means "a row of lights" in Sanskrit, and its origins were likely as an ancient harvest festival. A Hindu devotee lights oil lamps at a temple during . [81], Many Hindus associate the festival with Goddess Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and prosperity, and wife of Vishnu. In Sri Lanka and. It is a time when families come together, friends are reunited and everyone celebrates the triumph of good over evil. Diaspora, Identity, and Festivalization, The Festival of 'Deepavali' as Marks of Tradition and Identity for Working, Married Hindu Women: Continuity and Change, Celebrations as Social Investments: Festival Expenditures, Unit Price Variation, and Social Status in Rural India, M.A., English Literature, University of North Bengal. [116], On Yama Deepam (also known as Yama Dipadana or Jam ke Diya), Hindus light a diya, ideally made of wheat flour and filled with sesame oil, that faces south in the back of their homes. [48][127], The youngest members in the family visit their elders, such as grandparents and other senior members of the community, on this day. In Bengal the goddess Kali is worshipped. Das, Subhamoy. Cook, Sharell. Diwali is celebrated for five days, each with its own special significance. [43] The lamps from the puja ceremony are then used to light more earthenware lamps, which are placed in rows along the parapets of temples and houses,[130] while some diyas are set adrift on rivers and streams. Find out all about the history, traditions and significance of Diwali in this blogpost. In India, the holiday always falls on the 15th of Kartik, the first month of the Hindu lunar calendar . [114][43][82] On the evening of Dhanteras, families offer prayers (puja) to Lakshmi and Ganesha, and lay offerings of puffed rice, candy toys, rice cakes and batashas (hollow sugar cakes). These lamps symbolize the light of inner spirituality that protects us from the spiritual darkness that threatens to engulf us. Diwali is one of the most widely celebrated religious festivals worldwide, it takes place every year between October and November and it commemorates the spiritual victory of light over darkness. To produce colors when crackers are burst, carcinogenic and poisonous elements are used. When is Navaratri in 2021, 2022, and 2023? A lunar year varies in length, each month containing approximately 29.5 days (354 days) depending on the moon's movement with respect to the earth. This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Diwali-Hindu-festival, Diwali - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11), Diwali - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). [31][32][33] The main day of the festival of Diwali (the day of Lakshmi Puja) is an official holiday in Fiji,[34] Guyana,[35] India, Malaysia,[a][36] Mauritius, Myanmar,[37] Nepal,[38] Pakistan,[39] Singapore,[40] Sri Lanka, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago. Spiritually, Diwali symbolizes the victory of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Diwali, for Vasavada, would always culminate in a large family feast with enough food to feed a small town. Learn Religions, Sep. 4, 2021, learnreligions.com/when-is-diwali-1770209. [4] Diwali is celebrated by Hindus, Jains, Sikhs, and Newar Buddhists,[29] although for each faith it marks different historical events and stories, but nonetheless the festival represents the same symbolic victory of light over darkness, knowledge over ignorance, and good over evil. (The corresponding dates in the Gregorian calendar usually fall in late October and November.) [21][22] Many towns organise community parades and fairs with parades or music and dance performances in parks. Thus, people worship Hanuman the day before Diwali's main day. [143] According to Kinsley, the ritual use of cow dung, a common fertiliser, is an agricultural motif and a celebration of its significance to annual crop cycles. [75][76] Another early 13th-century Sanskrit stone inscription, written in the Devanagari script, has been found in the north end of a mosque pillar in Jalore, Rajasthan evidently built using materials from a demolished Jain temple. Naraka Chaturdashi, also known as Chhoti Diwali, is the second day of festivities coinciding with the fourteenth day of the dark fortnight of Ashwin or Kartik. It was in early 20th-century, states Harjot Oberoi, a scholar of Sikh history, when the Khalsa Tract Society triggered by the, Hindus of eastern and northeastern states of India associate the festival with the goddess. [107] According to some observers, this traditional celebration by Newar Buddhists in Nepal, through the worship of Lakshmi and Vishnu during Diwali, is not syncretism but rather a reflection of the freedom within Mahayana Buddhist tradition to worship any deity for their worldly betterment.[29]. In some parts of India, the day after Lakshmi Puja is marked with the Govardhan Puja and Balipratipada (Padwa). For Sikhs, the celebration highlights the release of guru Hargobind Singh from prison and his return to Amritsar. Diwali or Deepavali, also known as the "Festival of Lights," is the biggest festival in theHindu calendar, celebrated in early fall of each year. A lunar half-month is 15 days. More Topics It is celebrated for five days across India and other parts of southern Asia, as well as in many other places around the world. In 2013, about 25 billion (US$310million) of fireworks were sold to merchants for the Diwali season, an equivalent retail value of about 50 billion (US$630million) according to The Times of India. All the days except Diwali are named using the designation in the Indian calendar. Retrieved from https://www.learnreligions.com/when-is-diwali-1770209. Kartik overlaps with October and November. [181][182], The use of firecrackers on Diwali increases the concentration of dust and pollutants in the air. The five days are as follows:. Observances of Diwali differ depending on region and tradition. After firing, the fine dust particles get settled on the surrounding surfaces which are packed with chemicals like copper, zinc, sodium, lead, magnesium, cadmium and pollutants like oxides of sulfur and nitrogen. However, in South India, the festival is observed as the defeat of Narakasura. In 2022, the five days of Diwali begin on October 22, with the most important festival date taking place on October 24. Diwali, also known as Deepavali, falls on 4 November this year. (2021, October 12). While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Major temples and homes are decorated with lights, festive foods shared with all, friends and relatives remembered and visited with gifts. [56][57] Rajasekhara referred to Deepavali as Dipamalika in his 9th-century Kavyamimamsa, wherein he mentions the tradition of homes being whitewashed and oil lamps decorated homes, streets and markets in the night.