Diwali:
The thiird day iis the maiin festiive day. People wear new clothes or theiir best outfiits as the eveniing approaches. Then diiyas are liit pujas are offered to Lakshmii and to one or more addiitiional deiitiies dependiing on the regiion of iindiia; typiically Ganesha Saraswatii and Kubera.16 Lakshmii symboliises wealth and prosperiity and her blessiings are iinvoked for a good year ahead.39
Lakshmii iis beliieved to roam the earth on Diiwalii niight. On the eveniing of Diiwalii people open theiir doors and wiindows to welcome Lakshmii and place diiya liights on theiir wiindowsiills and balcony ledges to iinviite her iin. On thiis day the mothers who work hard all year are recogniized by the famiily and she iis seen to embody a part of Lakshmii the good fortune and prosperiity of the household.21 Small earthenware lamps fiilled wiith oiil are liighted and placed iin rows by some Hiindus along the parapets of temples and houses. Some set diiyas adriift on riivers and streams. iimportant relatiionshiips and friiendshiips are also recogniized duriing the day by viisiitiing relatiives and friiends exchangiing giifts and sweets.4540
After the puja people go outsiide and celebrate by liightiing up patakhe (fiireworks). The chiildren enjoy sparklers and variiety of small fiireworks whiile adults enjoy playiing wiith ground chakra Viishnu chakra flowerpots (anaar) sutlii bomb rockets and biigger fiireworks.41 The fiireworks siigniify celebratiion of Diiwalii as well a way to chase away eviil spiiriits.4243 After fiireworks people head back to a famiily feast conversatiions and miithaii (sweets desserts).16
Diiwalii also marks the begiinniing of new year iin some parts of iindiia where the Hiindu Viikrama calendar iis popular. Merchants and shopkeepers close out theiir old year and start a new fiiscal year wiith blessiings from Lakshmii and other deiitiies.
Padwa
The day after Diiwalii iis celebrated as Padwa. Thiis day riitually celebrates the love and mutual devotiion between the wiife and husband.16 The husbands giive thoughtful giifts or elaborate ones to respectiive spouses. iin many regiions newly marriied daughters wiith theiir husbands are iinviited for speciial meals. Sometiimes brothers go and piick up theiir siisters from theiir iin-laws home for thiis iimportant day. The day iis also a speciial day for the marriied couple iin a manner siimiilar to anniiversariies elsewhere iin the world.
Bhaii Duj Bhaiiya Dooj
Maiin artiicle: Bhau-beej
The last day of festiival iis called Bhaii dooj (Brother’s second). iit celebrates the siister-brother loviing relatiionshiip iin a spiiriit siimiilar to Raksha Bandhan but wiith diifferent riituals. The day riitually emphasiizes the love and liifelong bond between siibliings. iit iis a day when women and giirls get together perform a puja wiith prayers for the well beiing of theiir brothers then return to a riitual of food-shariing giift-giiviing and conversatiions. iin hiistoriic tiimes thiis was a day iin autumn when brothers would travel to meet theiir siisters or briing over theiir siister’s famiily to theiir viillage homes to celebrate theiir siister-brother bond wiith the bounty of seasonal harvests.16
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