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Today, we're celebrating Divali, the festival of light.
This festival always takes place with new moon around end October and beginning of November. It's a festive period which reminds me very much of our Christmas; the houses are thoroughly cleaned and decorated with lamps of different colours. The Hindus prepare different types of sweet cakes which are then wrapped in small parcels and then distributed to friends, neighbours and other relatives.
The story behind Divali is quite interesting:
The God Rama, his wife Sita and his brother Lakshmana returned from exile to their hometown Ayodhya. As it was new moon on that particular night and the way through the jungle was quite dark, the people placed oil lamps all along the way. Nowadays, small electric lights have replaced the oil lamps but one can still find the traditional oil lamps decorating the houses.
Divali is also the occasion to celebrate the Goddess Lakshmi. She will not go inside a house which has not properly cleaned and people place the oil lamps to greet her inside the house. Divali is also the celebration of good upon the evil, the truth upon the lies, the light upon the darkness and life upon death.
Happy Divali to you.