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How to Celebrate Diwali in Trinidad

Contributor
By eHow Contributing Writer
(4 Ratings)

The Caribbean island nation of Trinidad and Tobago is an excellent place to celebrate the Hindu festival of Diwali, since approximately 43 percent of the population is of Indian descent. The Festival of Lights, as it is also known, is a national holiday in Trinidad, and often lasts over a week.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy
Instructions

Things You'll Need:

  • Travel itinerary
  • Diyas (small clay pots with oil that are lit for Diwali)
  • Travel agent

    Celebrate Diwali in Trinidad

  1. Step 1

    Use a Hindu calendar to determine the exact date of the Diwali celebration. Note that the actual dates may differ slightly in Trinidad, since the festival is usually expanded beyond the traditional 5 days.

  2. Step 2

    Plan your trip to Trinidad and Tobago well in advance of Diwali, since this is a popular time to visit the country, and flight reservations and accommodations may fill up quickly. Use a knowledgeable travel agent to get the best deal on a vacation package that takes advantage of all the Diwali celebrations.

  3. Step 3

    Arrive in Trinidad early, since many cultural events concerning the origins of Diwali take place in the weeks leading up to the actual festival. These preliminary events include the famous Divali Nagar in Chaguanas, also known as the Village of the Festival of Lights.

  4. Step 4

    Purchase several diyas in order to prepare for Diwali in Trinidad. Diyas are small clay pots filled with oils that are placed on bamboo stands and lit during the evening celebrations. At the peak of Diwali in Trinidad, all of the streets and public area are filled with thousands of diyas, which can be a remarkable sight.

  5. Step 5

    See how most of the Diwali celebrations in Trinidad focus on the Hindu goddess of light, wealth and beauty, known as Lakshmi Mata. Most of the prayers and events are designed to welcome this goddess into the homes of Trinidadians and artwork and sculptures of Lakshmi Mata are everywhere during Diwali.

  6. Step 6

    Take time to show respect to all of the women in your family during the festival. Trinidadians use Diwali to show their appreciation for all of the women in their lives, including mothers, wives, sisters and daughters. All of this is done in deference to Lakshmi Mata.

Tips & Warnings
  • Note the spirit of unity that fills the Diwali celebration in Trinidad. The government of Trinidad and Tobago made Diwali a national holiday in 1966 in order to bring the Hindus, Christians, Muslims and native Trinidadians together to celebrate the Festival of Lights.
  • Find a Hindu calendar online using a website like Hindunet.org (see Resources below).
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