Diwali & Halloween
Celebrating Halloween (31st October) and Diwali (1st November) is not going to be easy in families where affinities for both festivities run deep. A few years ago, when my girls were younger, I had to navigate the decor for both fall festivities.
Like many Indians, I too like to maintain my cultural connection to the nation of my origin by celebrating the festivals of India with traditional fervor, flavors, and decorations.
The Bay Area, home to a large diasporic population from South Asia, abounds in celebrations marking the festivals of Navratri, Durga Puja, Diwali, and others with social celebrations like fairs, festivals, and dances.
At home during Diwali, the festival of lights is all about food, dressing up, and decorating the house for the auspicious occasion with traditional ornaments. In my household, prayers of gratitude and continued benevolence are also an intrinsic part of the celebration.
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Dual cultural identities
At most times, my young daughter recognizes her dual cultural identities and can navigate her American and Indian sides with ease. The proximity of Diwali to Halloween this year is resulting in some interesting conversations and negotiations at our home.
My daughter wants to festoon the front door and yard with all shapes and sizes of ghosts and goblins to highlight her Halloween spirit. I want the front porch to be Diwali-ready with rangoli, toran, and other traditional embellishments.
According to traditional Hindu beliefs, Diwali marks the victory of good over evil and Diwali night welcomes the goddess of wealth – Lakshmi – inside the home.
For context, like spring cleaning, homes are deep cleaned for the occasion and symbolic signs in the form of lights and intricate floor art (rangoli) adorn front yards to welcome the goddess of plenty. The diyas (lamp lights) symbolize moving from darkness to light and from ignorance to knowledge in all spheres of our lives. I want to do my bit to welcome the goddess of plenty to my humble abode too!
Witches, werewolves and goddesses
I tell my daughter that witches and werewolves will just have to wait. She tells me that a goddess will know that it is only pretend. Then to strengthen her argument she goes on to say that a goddess would be brave enough to not be scared of any pretend ghosts and goblins if she decided to visit our home. I don’t have a convincing counterargument.
The limited real estate in my front yard comes to my rescue. “We only have place for some decorations and since Diwali is before Halloween, let us first put up the Diwali lights and then we can follow up with Halloween decor,” I suggest.
She reluctantly agrees and I compromise too. My Diwali decorations are complemented with pumpkins and some Halloween lights. The pumpkins mesh very well with the rangoli and a mix of Halloween lights with Diwali diyas. We are both glad!
I am sure this amicable compromise will make for two happy celebrations. We both learned the vital lesson of co-existence while embracing diversity.
Photo by RDNE Stock project
Photo by Chokniti Khongchum