[124] At dusk, family members gather for the Lakshmi Pujan,[124] although prayers will also be offered to other deities, such as Ganesha, Saraswati, Rama, Lakshmana, Sita, Hanuman, or Kubera. [40][54], King Harsha refers to Deepavali, in the 7th century Sanskrit play Nagananda, as Dīpapratipadotsava (dīpa = light, pratipadā = first day, utsava = festival), where lamps were lit and newly engaged brides and grooms received gifts. [21] The second day is Naraka Chaturdashi. According to Audrey Truschke, the Sunni Muslim emperor Aurangzeb did limit "public observation" of many religious holidays such as Hindu Diwali and Holi, but also of Shia observance of Muharram and the Persian holiday of Nauruz. [106] Merchants seek Lakshmi's blessings in their ventures and will ritually close their accounting year during Diwali. Some devout Buddhists will wear simple white clothing and spend the whole day in temples with renewed determination to observe the eight precepts. [29][30] Newar Buddhists in Nepalese valleys also celebrate the Diwali festival over five days, in much the same way, and on the same days, as the Nepalese Hindu Diwali-Tihar festival. Each day has the following rituals and significance:[40], Dhanteras, derived from Dhan meaning wealth and teras meaning thirteenth, marks the thirteenth day of the dark fortnight of Kartik and the beginning of Diwali. [113][105] Women and children decorate doorways within homes and offices with rangolis, colourful designs made from rice flour, flower petals, colored rice or colored sand,[111] while the boys and men decorate the roofs and walls of family homes, markets, and temples and string up lights and lanterns. 2544-2545/2001-2002)", "Resolution Adopted by the General Assembly: 54/115. [163], Diwali has increasingly attracted cultural exchanges, becoming occasions for politicians and religious leaders worldwide to meet Hindu or Indian origin citizens, diplomatic staff or neighbours. Unlike some other festivals, the Hindu typically do not fast during the five-day long Diwali including Lakshmi Pujan, rather they feast and share the bounties of the season at their workplaces, community centres, temples and homes. [139], The last day of the festival is called Bhai Duj (literally "brother's day"[142]), Bhau Beej, Bhai Tilak or Bhai Phonta. According to a Government of Himachal Pradesh and India publication, the Vishvakarma puja is observed on the fourth day of Diwali in the Himalayan state. [40], The puja and rituals in the Bengali Hindu community focus on Kali, the goddess of war, instead of Lakshmi. Mini rake – Some craft stores sell mini rakes made specifically for mini zen gardens. [79], As per another popular tradition, in the Dvapara Yuga period, Krishna, an avatar of Vishnu, killed the demon Narakasura, who was evil king of Pragjyotishapura, near present-day Assam and released 16000 girls held captive by Narakasura. Before 1975, the birthday of Buddha was a national public holiday in South Vietnam. [37][38][39] In the early decades of the 20th century, Vesak Day was associated with the Ceylonese community which then celebrated it along with their National Day in a two-day event. 8 April. According to Pintchman, in some Hindu traditions the women recite tales where sisters protect their brothers from enemies that seek to cause him either bodily or spiritual harm. In Japan, Vesak celebrations include pouring 甘茶 (amacha), a sweet tea made from Hydrangea macrophylla, on statues. It commemorates the birth, enlightenment, and death of the Buddha, which are all said to have happened on the same date. Shopkeepers and small operations perform puja rituals in their office premises. Find Out Why We Celebrate Christmas on December 25. [16][82][83] Hindus from the Braj region in northern India, parts of Assam, as well as southern Tamil and Telugu communities view Diwali as the day the god Krishna overcame and destroyed the evil demon king Narakasura, in yet another symbolic victory of knowledge and good over ignorance and evil. In 2013, about ₹25 billion (US$350 million) of fireworks were sold to merchants for the Diwali season, an equivalent retail value of about ₹50 billion (US$700 million) according to The Times of India. [38], Diwali (English: /dɪˈwɑːliː/)[8] or Divali[42] is from the Sanskrit dīpāvali meaning "row or series of lights". Earlier in the season's fortnight, some welcome the souls of their ancestors to join the family for the festivities with the Mahalaya. Hindu temples on this day prepare and present "mountains of sweets" to the faithful who have gathered for darshan (visit). The Vishwakarma puja day is alternatively observed in other Hindu communities in accordance with the Hindu solar calendar, and this falls in September. The darkest night is the apex of the celebration and coincides with the second half of October or early November in the Gregorian calendar. Sikhs historically referred to this festival as Diwali. After World War II, there was a movement to make Vesak Day a public holiday, with the Singapore Buddhist Association leading the petitions.[40]. [183] Other studies have stated that the fireworks of Diwali produce particulates and pollutants with a decay-life time of about one day. It is based on a legend that nine dragons appeared in the sky on the Buddha's birthday and poured amṛta over him.[44]. [180][181], A study of residential areas of Delhi in 2006–08, found that concentration of particulate matter as well as sulphur dioxide increased on the day of Diwali relative to other days of the month and that the increase could be exacerbated by prevailing meteorological conditions; there was also a correlated increase in ambient noise levels. Buddhist Rituals Before Death. (In 1999, the Taiwanese government set Buddha's birthday as the second Sunday of May, the same date as Mother's Day.[16][17]). The Buddha advised him not to weep, instead to understand the universal law that all compounded things (including even his own body) must disintegrate. [111], Diwali is a post-harvest festival celebrating the bounty following the arrival of the monsoon in the subcontinent. [80], Many Hindus associate the festival with Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and prosperity, and wife of Vishnu. [30][31] At Borobudur, thousands of Buddhist monks will join together to repeat mantras and meditate as they circuit the temple in a ritual called "Pradaksina". [168], Diwali was first celebrated in the White House by George W. Bush in 2003 and its religious and historical significance was officially recognized by the United States Congress in 2007. A 2017 estimate states 50,000 tons (100 million pounds) of fireworks are exploded annually in India over the Diwali festival. In the East Asian tradition, a celebration of Buddha's Birthday typically occurs around the traditional timing of Vesak. Celebrations include dances, poems, parades, processions, deep meditation, theatrical performances, and puppet shows. [13][126][127] After the puja, people go outside and celebrate by lighting up patakhe (fireworks) together, and then share a family feast and mithai (sweets, desserts). Devout Buddhists undertake to lead a noble life according to the teaching by making daily affirmations to observe the Five Precepts. On Vesak Day, Buddhists all over the world commemorate events of significance to Buddhists of all traditions: The birth, enlightenment and the passing away of Gautama Buddha. Vesak (Pali: Vesākha, Sanskrit: Vaiśākha), also known as Buddha Jayanti,[8] Buddha Purnima and Buddha Day, is a holiday traditionally observed by Buddhists and some Hindus in South and Southeast Asia as well as Tibet and Mongolia. We observe the holiday to honor the present and past presidents of the United States for making the country the land it is today. These two festivals likely developed in tandem over their recent histories, states McDermott. Americans mark this day by engaging in various activities. [58][59] The 16th-century Portuguese traveller Domingo Paes wrote of his visit to the Hindu Vijayanagara Empire, where Dipavali was celebrated in October with householders illuminating their homes, and their temples, with lamps. One part of the Vixakha Bouxa festival is called Boun Bang Fay, or Rocket Festival. [45] On the day of Buddha's birth, many temples provide free meals and tea to all visitors. Thus, people worship Hanuman the day before Diwali's main day. [98] According to J.S. This is symbolic of the cleansing of a practitioner's bad karma, and to reenact the events following the Buddha's birth, when devas and spirits made heavenly offerings to him. [115], Naraka Chaturdashi also known as Chhoti Diwali, is the second day of festivities coinciding with the fourteenth day of the second fortnight of the lunar month. Some temples also display a small statue of the Buddha in front of the altar in a small basin decorated with flowers, and filled with water or sweet tea for devotees to pour over the statue. [118] A mythological interpretation of this festive day is the destruction of the asura (demon) Narakasura by Krishna, a victory that frees 16,000 imprisoned princesses kidnapped by Narakasura. This is the day when Hindu, Jain and Sikh temples and homes are aglow with lights, thereby making it the "festival of lights". [7] The festival usually lasts five days and is celebrated during the Hindu lunisolar month Kartika (between mid-October and mid-November). Buddhism is an Indian religion founded on the teachings of a mendicant and spiritual teacher called "the Buddha" ("the Awakened One", c. 5th to 4th century BCE). How to Celebrate Presidents' Day. [149][note 15] In the modern day, Diwali mela are held at college, or university, campuses or as community events by members of the Indian diaspora. According to Pintchman, the start of the 5-day Diwali festival is stated in some popular contemporary sources as the day Goddess Lakshmi was born from Samudra manthan, the churning of the cosmic ocean of milk by the Devas (gods) and the Asuras (demons) – a Vedic legend that is also found in several Puranas such as the Padma Purana, while the night of Diwali is when Lakshmi chose and wed Vishnu. The exact date of Vesak is based on Asian lunisolar calendars and is primarily celebrated in Vaisakha, a month of both the Buddhist and Hindu calendars, hence the name Vesak. However, after the Fall of Saigon, the day was no longer a public holiday. Local renditions of the name vary by language, including: The month of May usually has one full moon, but as there are 29.5 days between full moons, occasionally there are two. [66] In his paper on The Lunar Year of the Hindus, Jones, then based in Bengal, noted four of the five days of Diwali in the autumn months of Aswina-Cartica [sic] as the following: Bhutachaturdasi Yamaterpanam (2nd day), Lacshmipuja dipanwita (the day of Diwali), Dyuta pratipat Belipuja (4th day), and Bhratri dwitiya (5th day). One tradition links the festival to legends in the Hindu epic Ramayana, where Diwali is the day Rama, Sita, Lakshman and Hanuman reached Ayodhya after a period of 14 years in exile after Rama's army of good defeated demon king Ravana's army of evil. According to Truschke, Aurangzeb did so because he found the festivals "distasteful" and also from "concerns with public safety" lurking in the background. [112], Rituals and preparations for Diwali begin days or weeks in advance, typically after the festival of Dusshera that precedes Diwali by about 20 days. [113] Some communities, particularly those active in Ayurvedic and health-related professions, pray or perform havan rituals to Dhanvantari on Dhanteras. However, on special days, notably new moon and full moon days, they observe the eight precepts to train themselves to practice morality, simplicity, and humility. [152] It is traditionally a time when households purchase new clothing, home refurbishments, gifts, gold, jewellery,[153][154] and other large purchases particularly as the festival is dedicated to Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and prosperity, and such purchases are considered auspicious. Vesak is also a time for great joy and happiness, expressed not by pandering to one's appetites, but by concentrating on useful activities such as decorating and illuminating temples, or painting and creating exquisite scenes from the life of the Buddha for public dissemination. [113], On Yama Deepam (Yama Dipadana, Jam ke Diya), Hindus lights a diya, ideally made of wheat flour and filled with sesame oil, that faces south in the back of their homes. Small business owners give gifts or special bonus payments to their employees between Dhanteras and Lakshmi Pujan. Celebrating Christmas in Traditionally Buddhist Korea. Diwali (English: / d ɪ ˈ w ɑː l iː /; Deepavali (IAST: dīpāvali) or Divali; related to Jain Diwali, Bandi Chhor Divas, Tihar, Swanti, Sohrai and Bandna) is a festival of lights and one of the major festivals celebrated by Hindus, Jains, Sikhs and some Buddhist, notably Newar Buddhist. [119], As the evening approaches, celebrants will wear new clothes or their best outfits, teenage girls and women, in particular, wear saris and jewellery. [136] It is regionally called Annakut (heap of grain), Padwa, Goverdhan puja, Bali Pratipada, Bali Padyami, Kartik Shukla Pratipada and other names. The day also marks a major shopping day to purchase new utensils, home equipment, jewellery, firecrackers, and other items. As Buddhism spread from India it was assimilated into many foreign cultures, and consequently Vesak is celebrated in many different ways all over the world. Vesak Day is an important festival for all Bengali Buddhists. Critics stated that the ruling was judicial over-reach and a bias against Hindu culture, while supporters stated that it would be beneficial to public health. [46][note 2], The five-day celebration is observed every year in early autumn after the conclusion of the summer harvest, coincides with the new moon (amāvasyā) and is deemed the darkest night of the Hindu lunisolar calendar. International recognition of the Day of Vesak at United Nations Headquarters and other United Nations offices", "Vesak festival: What is it and how do Buddhists celebrate Buddha Day or Wesak? Historical records appear inconsistent about the name of the lunar month in which Diwali is observed. Scotland: Celebrating Hogmanay, which denotes the last day of the year, is a big deal in Scotland. The Bible clearly states that the soul can die. On this day, monks will recite verses uttered by the Buddha twenty-five centuries ago to invoke peace and happiness for the government and the people. Sometimes these are wrapped with edible silver foil (vark). We were in Alsace for Christmas. Just before he died, he saw his faithful attendant Ananda, weeping. [121] Family members light up firecrackers, which some interpret as a way to ward off all evil spirits and the inauspicious, as well as add to the festive mood. (The practice, however, is banned in some countries such as Singapore, as the released animals are unable to survive long-term or may adversely impact the local ecosystem if they do.)[18]. [note 19], The use of fireworks also causes an increase in the number of burn injuries in India during Diwali. Other contributors to the poor air quality include daily vehicular and industrial activity along with the burning of other biomass. Patrick Duffy is giddy with delight when discussing his new love. According to tradition the Buddha instructed followers how to pay him homage. [119] Many visit their favourite Hindu temple. [137][138] In another interpretation, it is thought to reference the legend of Parvati and her husband Shiva playing a game of dyuta (dice) on a board of twelve squares and thirty pieces, Parvati wins. Colombo experiences a massive influx of people from all parts of the country during this week. [106] A symbolic piece of traditional fertiliser, a dried piece of cow dung, is included in the ensemble in Odisha and Deccan region villages, an agricultural motif according to Kinsley. Independence Day(s) vary by country, but you can use this as a day to celebrate impermanence. The Catholic dicastery Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, founded as Secretariat for non-Christians by Pope Paul VI, began sending official greetings and Pope's message to the Hindus on Diwali in the mid-1990s. [161] About two-thirds of Indian households, according to the ASSOCHAM forecast, would spend between ₹5,000 (US$70) and ₹10,000 (US$140) to celebrate Diwali in 2017. Part of the inscription, as translated by Kielhorn, reads: "the auspicious festival of lights which disperses the most profound darkness, which in former days was celebrated by the kings Ila, Kartavirya and Sagara, (...) as Sakra (Indra) is of the gods, the universal monarch who knows the duties by the three Vedas, afterwards celebrated here at Ranga for Vishnu, resplendent with Lakshmi resting on his radiant lap. [68][69][note 7] Examples include a 10th-century Rashtrakuta empire copper plate inscription of Krsna III (939–967 CE) that mentions Dipotsava,[70] and a 12th-century mixed Sanskrit-Kannada Sinda inscription discovered in the Isvara temple of Dharwad in Karnataka where the inscription refers to the festival as a "sacred occasion". [155][156] According to Rao, Diwali is one of the major festivals where rural Indians spend a significant portion of their annual income, and is a means for them to renew their relationships and social networks. [119][123] Shops either do not open or close early on this day allowing employees to enjoy family time. Different states celebrate the festival in different ways. Choti Diwali is the major shopping day for festive, Annakut community meals (left), Krishna holding. [105], According to Tracy Pintchman, Dhanteras is a symbol of annual renewal, cleansing and an auspicious beginning for the next year. It’s celebrated through meditation and is embraced similar to how Christians celebrate Christmas to honor Jesus Christ. In the Bangla language, it is known as Buddho Purnima. They signify the light of the Buddha, Dharma and the Sangha. The annual Hindu festival celebrates the birth of Lord Krishna. [23][24], Some other faiths in India also celebrate their respective festivals alongside Diwali. The third day is the day of Lakshmi Puja and the darkest night of the traditional month. Rasa Lila, the traditional Krishna Drama is performed in regions of Mathura, Manipur, Assam, Rajasthan, and Gujarat.In Mumbai, Pune, and Gujarat, the event of DAHI HANDI takes place in which groups make human pyramids to reach the yoghurt pot which is tied at a certain height. So I want to talk about Christmas, totally different over there. [79] The festival formally begins two days before the night of Diwali, and ends two days thereafter. [158][note 16] ASSOCHAM, a trade organisation in India, forecasted that online shopping alone to be over ₹300 billion (US$4.2 billion) over the 2017 Diwali season. It has now grown into one of the nation's biggest cultural festivals. Traditionally, Buddhist monks made the rockets out of hollow bamboo tubes filled with gunpowder (among other things). Likewise, in 2012, Vesak was observed on 28 April in Hong Kong and Taiwan, on 5 May in Sri Lanka, on 6 May in India and Bangladesh, on 28 May in South Korea, and on 4 June in Thailand. [52][53], The Diwali festival is likely a fusion of harvest festivals in ancient India. He explained that though the actual Hindu festival day is the same, it is identified differently in regional calendars because there are two traditions in the Hindu calendar. Find photo galleries with beautiful, provoking images on latest news stories on NBCNews.com. [47] The Vesak Celebration is officially held by the Vietnamese Buddhist Sangha every year and it aggregated international delegates for great events in 2008, 2014, 2019 (the 16th United Nations Day of Vesak Celebration). [178] The tradition of annual Diwali fireworks has caused widespread coverage in Indian media, where debate has centred on air quality within Indian cities in autumn and winter and the role the fireworks play. A variety of sweets are prepared using flour, semolina, rice, chickpea flour, dry fruit pieces powders or paste, milk solids (mawa or khoya) and clarified butter (ghee). [41] During this week, the selling of alcohol and fresh meat is usually prohibited, with slaughter houses also being closed. The diyas (lamps) are mentioned in Skanda Kishore Purana as symbolising parts of the sun, describing it as the cosmic giver of light and energy to all life and which seasonally transitions in the Hindu calendar month of Kartik. 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