Diwali is famously known as the Festival of Lights and marks the victory of good over evil and light over dark. This holiday is widely celebrated by Hindus across the world by lighting oil lamps or candles, feasting on tasty regional food and traditional sweets, wearing new clothes, lighting fireworks, and celebrating the four or five days with family and friends. This holiday is celebrated around the world and many countries have their own unique way to celebrate the occasion. Here’s a quick look at how some countries around the world celebrate the festival of light!
 

India

Diwali is one of India’s biggest and most important holiday of the calendar year where every house down the block is cleaned, light up with lamps, and decorated with flowers and lights. Lighting rows of clay lamps and keeping them outside the house symbolizes the inner light that protects the household from any source of negativity and spiritual darkness. Many families also spend hours decorating their homes with Rangoli, a pattern full of colors, made from rice, dry flour, colored sand, or flower petals. Maternal figures of the household usually spend the days making savory snacks and traditional sweets for guests. This day is celebrated in all parts of India for various reasons and there are many different types of festivals and parades depending on the region.
 

​Singapore

Diwali is known as Deepavali in Singapore and is recognized as a public holiday. This holiday is celebrated in Chinatown near the Sri Mariamman Temple which is visited by many people during this time for prayers and to enjoy the festivities with their loved ones. Many people also buy new sarees and jewelry during this holiday by visiting High Street where Deepavali was celebrated in the 1900s where the original Sindhi and Sikh jewelers and textile merchants first ran business. During the Deepavali period, many people like to visit the Kalaa Utsavam arts festival held annually in Esplanade to immerse themselves in the Indian performing arts.
 

Malaysia

Diwali is a public holiday in Malaysia and is celebrated outdoors in the capital city of Kuala Lumpur where lies Little India. Friends and family get together for prayers and to offer gratitude for the past year and the year to follow. Many Indian restaurants in Kuala Lumpur may also offer special menus featuring traditional snacks and sweets. Buildings are traditionally illuminated with oil-burning bowls called dipa lights, or more recently, with strings of artificial lights.
 

United States of America

Most cities in the United States have their own way of celebrating Diwali whether it be through parades, community gatherings, communal dinners, or even customary prayers at the local temple. Some of the most famous states for hosting such events include New Jersey, New York, Illinois, Texas, and California where there are a substantial number of Indian residents that celebrate the holiday. Although Diwali is not a public holiday in United States, it still hosts one of the world’s largest celebrations of Diwali at Times Square in New York City.
 

Australia

Australia celebrates Diwali in its own unique way with fireworks, live entertainment, traditional dances, art and cultural shows, and many more activities in main cities such as Sydney and Melbourne. Recently, Diwali at Federation Square in Melbourne has grown to become the largest celebration in Australia and offers many food stalls with assorted sweets and savories, henna and body art stalls, stalls for purchasing jewelry and silk outfits, and various stalls for Diwali lights such as lanterns, candles, lamps, clay pots, and more.

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