Diwali The Festival of Light

Light and Darkness in Harry Potter Watch the Harry Potter clip. What do you notice about light and darkness? What do you think it means?

Diwali Diwali is celebrated by many religions including Sikhs and Hindus. The festival is celebrated for five days each year. Last year it was celebrated on Saturday 17th October. This year it will be celebrated on 5th November.

The City of Jaipur During Diwali Watch Indian Diwali Clip

In the UK Leicester is famous for it’s Diwali celebrations What kinds of celebration can you see?

And these are celebrations in London What kinds of celebration can you see?

Women create Rangoli patterns on the floor of their home.

Rangoli Patterns A rangoli is a colourful design made on the floor near the entrance to a house to welcome guests. At Diwali, Hindus draw bright Rangoli patterns to encourage the goddess Lakshmi (the goddess of wealth) to enter their homes. Rangoli patterns are traditionally drawn with the fingers using flour, rice grains or coloured chalk. Rangoli can be square, rectangular or circular – or a mix of all three. They are often symmetrical. Rangoli motifs are usually taken from Nature - peacocks, swans, mango, flowers and so on.

Here are some more examples of Rangoli patterns

For Homework For homework you will be making your own Rangoli pattern. Copy this into your planner now. Your homework is due next lesson. Failure to complete homework will be a detention.

Whole buildings are lit up!

The temple is lit up and fireworks are set off to celebrate Diwali in an Indian city.

Activity Draw a spider diagram in your book showing all the different kinds of ways Diwali is celebrated. Fireworks How is Diwali celebrated?

'Diwali' means 'a row of clay lamps' ('divas' or 'diyas') 'Diwali' means 'a row of clay lamps' ('divas' or 'diyas'). In India, the houses are lit for Diwali with many of these little lamps. The lights are a symbol of truth and knowledge banishing the darkness; they are also a sign to welcome prosperity into the house.

Activity We are going to create our own diya lamps: Cut out your diya lamp and write your name on the front. Peg your lamp the washing line in the classroom. On the back of your diya, write your hopes and dreams for the future. These can be personal or for the world. Also write on the back a good aspect of the world or of your lives in particular. We will then each read out your hopes and good aspects before pinning the diya to the line. This line will become our own row of diwali lights!