Soon, families and friends across the country will get together to celebrate Diwali and the arrival of the new moon. Diwali, often coinciding with the Hindu New Year in many regions of India, is a grand celebration filled with various customs and traditions. As the five-day Festival of Lights begins on October 29th this year, here are three ways to prepare for this annual occasion.

Declutter and Decorate

It’s believed that Goddess Lakshmi visits homes that are clean and well-lit. So before you get stuck into decorations, ensure your home surfaces are disinfected, and general spaces are clutter-free.

Now for the fun part: decorating! Adorning your home with colourful rangoli designs at the entrance, hanging torans (decorative garlands) and setting up some fairy lights, oil lamps (diyas) and/or tea candles will help create a festive ambience.

Fresh flowers can add a fragrant touch to your decorations. Tip: popular blooms include marigolds, roses, jasmine, hibiscus and lotus flowers, which can also be used in your Rangoli design!

Make a Rangoli

Rangoli floor patterns are an essential part of Diwali celebrations and often used to keep evil at bay and welcome Lakshmi, as well as other visiting guests into the home. Besides looking beautiful and having deep symbolic value, Rangolis also serve a more practical purpose, which is to keep your entrance clean and free from insects.

They typically consist of bright, colourful and intricate patterns and use materials such as coloured chalk or sand, flower petals, powders and pantry items – like rice, flour, turmeric and lentils.

Plan Your Festive Foods 

Preparing, sharing and gifting food is a huge part of Diwali since it naturally brings loved ones together. And during this time, friends and families tend to avoid alcohol, tobacco and meat – opting for vegetarian foods and quench-thirsting mango lassis instead.

Traditional Sweets: You can't celebrate Diwali without a range of delicious, decadent sweets! So make sure you squeeze in enough time to prepare or shop for traditional sweets like ladoos, barfis, and gulab jamuns. These sweets are essential for offering to deities and sharing with guests.

Special Meals: It’s important to plan and prepare special meals for each day of the festival, including traditional dishes that are favourites amongst your family or across your region.

Snacks and Savouries: Don't forget to include savoury snacks in your festive food ‘repertoire’. Samosas, kachoris, and chaklis are all great options when hosting guests or celebrating throughout the day.

Here, at Northgate, we wish you a blessed, healthy, and prosperous Diwali.