Here's everything you need to know: NPR

Around a billion people worldwide and in the US will celebrate Diwali this week.

Diwali, also known as Deepavali and the Hindu “Festival of Lights,” is one of India's most celebrated holidays. It overlaps with other harvest rituals and festivals. The dates for the holidays vary each year as they follow the lunar calendar. Diwali originated in India more than 2,500 years ago. The annual festival, which extends to the Indian diaspora, is typically celebrated for five days or even just one day, depending on where a person lives or how they celebrate.

This year's celebrations also coincide with the US presidential election, where Black and South Asian Vice President Kamala Harris could make history if elected president. Harris, who is a Christian, is proud of her Indian heritage and has celebrated Diwali in recent years at her official residence in Washington, D.C. In a message in 2021, she called for people to “remember to honor the light in one another.”

The possibility of someone of South Asian descent rising to the highest office in the U.S. has made Diwali even more exciting for some South Asian Americans, including Deepak Sarma, who is 54 Harris' presence in politics helps strengthen it.

“We are part of the American landscape,” says Sarma, the first distinguished public humanities scholar at Case Western Reserve University.

Sarma and others who celebrate Diwali share the importance of the holiday in their lives.

Here are some things you should know about Diwali.

Diwali is not only celebrated by Indians and Hindus

Diwali is celebrated primarily by Hindus and Indians across the Indian diaspora for various reasons. It is also celebrated in various ways in other South Asian religions.

“Different religious traditions in India each fit their religious themes and narratives into Diwali. For example, some Hindus believe that Diwali is the return of Lord Rama, an avatar of Vishnu, from 14 years in exile,” says Sarma, who uses the pronouns “they/them/theirs.” “Other Hindus believe it is the celebration of the killing of the asura (demon) Narakasura by Lord Krishna, another avatar of Vishnu.”

Some Hindus view Diwali as an opportunity to worship and celebrate the Hindu goddess of wealth, Lakshmi. And for others, like Sarma, Diwali is the “victory of knowledge over ignorance.”

According to Ravi Gupta, history department chair and professor of religious studies at Utah State University, Diwali celebrations for Sikhs commemorate the release of Guru Hargobind, who was imprisoned around 1617 and released in 1619.

Jains also celebrate Diwali. They do this in commemoration of the day when Lord Mahavira was revered as one of the religion's great teachers and attained Nirvana or enlightenment.

“In each of these Indian traditions, we find that Diwali has some meaning and reason for celebration, often a representation of hope and the victory of good,” says Gupta.

Traditions like food have a sacred meaning

On October 27, a huge crowd was seen buying lights and lamps ahead of the Diwali festival at Bhagirath Palace in New Delhi, India. The holiday is celebrated with many traditions and symbols.

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Another name for Diwali, Deepavali, means “garland of lights,” and according to Sarma, in India, garlanding is an act of reverence. They were born on Diwali and their name is a tribute to the holiday. To honor someone, a person can place a garland of flowers around himself, like the statues of deities in the temples, says Sarma.

“People don’t decorate other people with lights,” says Sarma.

Diwali also takes place on the night of the new moon, which further enhances the importance of lights during Diwali. In the darkness of night, streets and paths in India are lined with oil lamps, lighting the way to temples where gods and goddesses are honored under lights. On Diwali night, people will also clean their houses and ensure that every room is lit with lamps as Goddess Lakshmi is believed to visit well-lit houses, says Gupta.

There are also celebrations with fireworks.

“It is a festival of thanksgiving and one that celebrates the presence of light in the lives of Hindus… it celebrates the victory of light over darkness,” says Gupta.

Food is also not just a part of Diwali, but “everything” about the holiday, he says.

There is an exchange of food and sweets that are homemade or purchased from an Indian grocery store. Soan Papdi, a flaky dessert that Sarma says melts in your mouth like cotton candy, is one of her favorite sweets during Diwali. Jalebi, spiral-shaped and dipped in syrup, and almond burfi, sugary and square, are some of the many other treats during Diwali.

Diwali celebrations continue with Govardhan Puja or Annakutawhich means “mountain of food.” This will occur on November 1st in the western US and November 2nd in other parts of the world. It is intended to commemorate how Krishna, as a child, raised a mountain to protect his village from a heavy rainstorm. This act is celebrated with a “mountain” of food and some people create a mountain of rice and pile it with different types of food. The food is shared in temples and in people's homes. When he and his family celebrate AnnakutaGupta says he warns people to only eat as much as they can so that no food goes to waste.

“Although it is a big celebration, it also emphasizes the fact that food is a gift and special and we must treat it with respect and care,” he says.

Intricate designs like rangoli are drawn in front of people's homes to create “a sacred space and an auspicious kind of doorstep,” says Sarma. Bright colors such as red are also worn, which Gupta says is associated with the birth of new life, growth and abundance.

How can I celebrate Diwali?

On October 28, people at a market in Amritsar, “one of India's largest cities, bought artificial flowers for decoration ahead of Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights.”

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You don't have to be Hindu or Indian to celebrate Diwali, says Sarma, who also works as a cultural consultant for companies like Netflix and Mattel. Sarma also helped American Greetings to produce Diwali greeting cards and Diwali e-cards can be customized online.

You can greet your Indian friends with a savory sweet or a Diwali greeting card. You can also say “Happy Diwali!” to someone who celebrates.

However, one should be careful and not assume that all Indians and all Hindus also celebrate Diwali,” they say.

“Perhaps not everyone who is of South Asian or Indian descent or has Indian roots has learned about or celebrated the tradition,” says Sarma.

According to the Pew Research Center, nearly 80% of Indians identify as Hindu, 14.2% practice Islam, 2.3% practice Christianity and 1.7% practice Sikhism.

Gupta says he will celebrate Diwali with a two-day festival at home in Logan, Utah, with family and friends. Sarma says they exchange sweets with friends and have dinner together at an Indian restaurant near Cleveland, Ohio. They will too Give your children a book or a pen.

“The greatest thing I can give my children is a thirst for knowledge,” says Sarma.