How to Observe Diwali Customs and Traditions

The Tradition And Custom Of Diwali, spans over five days. These Traditions And Customs are an integral part of Diwali celebration. Lighting up the diyas, decorating rangoli, worshipping with aarti, all these long standing Customs And Traditions make these five days of Diwali really special !

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

1. Happy Diwali Dhanteras: The first day of the festival of Diwali or Deepavali begins with Dhanteras or Dhanatrayodashi, a day set aside to worship Goddess Lakshmi, the Goddess of wealth and prosperity. It falls on the 13th lunar day in the Hindu calendar month of Kartik (October/ November). People of the Hindu faith wake up very early in the morning on this Diwali day to start preparations for the worship and bathing rituals. They clean their homes and shops, decorate the entrances with garlands of mango leaves and marigold flowers, draw Rangolis or multi-colored motifs on doorways to welcome the Goddess and arrange diyas in and around the houses which are to be lit in the evening. Since this day of Diwali or Deepavali is associated with ‘dhan’ or wealth, people buy gold and silver jewelry, new utensils, new clothes and other such items. Coins, representing wealth, are also worshipped in the evening of Dhanteras.
2. Diwali Wishes In the villages of India, worshipping of cattle by farmers on this day of Diwali is very common. And in South India, cows are offered special prayers on this first day of Deepavali celebrations, as they are considered to be the incarnations of the Goddess. This day of Diwali is also very important to the mercantile community of western India. They renovate and decorate their business premises on Dhanteras, the first of the Deepavali days.
   
   Naraka Chaturdasi: The second day of Diwali or Deepavali is known as Naraka Chaturdasi or Kali Chaudas. It is the 14th lunar day of the dark fortnight and the eve of Diwali. Kali, the Goddess of strength is worshipped on this day of Deepavali. People light lamps or diyas and burn crackers to drive away evil forces and indulge head-on into the Deepavali celebrations. They also visit their relatives and friends with Diwali gifts, cards and sweets to wish them "A Happy Diwali".
3. Diwali Fireworks Oil-baths are taken on Naraka Chaturdasi or Kali Chaudas to symbolize the cleaning and purification of one’s body, mind and soul. People wake up before sunrise to take this holy bath with oil and ‘Uptan’ (a special paste prepared for the day). After this, the cooking for Diwali usually starts amidst much joy and laughter.
   
   This day of Diwali also focuses on casting away laziness and evil from the face of the world. And another name for this day is Chhoti Diwali (small Diwali), it being just the day before the actual BIG day of Diwali or Deepavali celebrations !
4. Free Diwali Greetings Diwali: The third day of Diwali or Deepavali is the big day and central to the festival of lights. It is known as Badi Diwali (big Diwali), or more commonly just Diwali. This falls on the last day of the lunar calendar year and is the most important day of the five-day long Diwali celebrations. Falling on a no-moon day, this day is the darkest day of the year.
   
   This day of Diwali witnesses the prime of Deepavali celebrations when the festive fervor reaches its peak with firecrackers bursting everywhere, people rejoicing with friends and family, every Hindu family performing the Lakshmi-puja (worship of Goddess Lakshmi) with the traditional ‘aarti’ (a Hindu ritual of waving lamps in front of the deities) and diyas glowing in and around every house. Hindu businessmen perform the Chopda Pujan (worship of the ledger) on this day on new books of accounts. In a nutshell, this day of Diwali is a day of mega celebration everywhere.
5. Free Diwali Greetings From 123greetings.com Annakoot: The fourth day of Diwali or Deepavali is known as Annakoot meaning ‘mountain of food’. It is also sometimes known as Padwa or Varshapratipada, and marks the coronation of King Vikramaditya. This day of Diwali is the beginning of the Vikram-Samvat or the New Year.
   
   On this Deepavali day, old business accounts are settled and new accounts are opened. The North Indians perform the Govardhan Puja on this fourth day of Diwali. They build little hills made of cow dung (symbolizing Govardhan, an incarnation of Lord Krishna) and worship these. In temples, the deities are given milkbath, dressed in gorgeous attires with adornments of dazzling stones. After the prayers and worship different kinds of traditional Diwali sweets are ceremoniously raised in the shape of a mountain. This is known as ‘Bhog’ and is then shared by all the devotees on this holy occasion of Diwali or Deepavali.
6. Bhai Dooj: The fifth day of Diwali celebrations is Bhai Dooj or Bhaiyya Dooj, which marks the end of the five days of Deepavali celebrations. This is a day dedicated to the sisters, who are visited on this day by their loving brothers with special gifts. The sisters put a ‘tilak’ (sacred mark) on their brothers’ foreheads and bless them with a long life full of happiness. They even cook for their dear brothers on Bhai Dooj and enjoy each other’s company to their heart’s content. This last day of Diwali observes the love between brothers and sisters and is a day of great warmth and joy.