The
Hindu Festival of Lights and the Swedish Lucia Day
Two
Different Winter Solstice Celebrations
'Two very
different 'celebrations of light' - part 1 Hindu Diwali
by Richard
Slater
Two very
different events, one originating in India and the other in Europe -
and both of which could be described as 'celebrations of light' -
are now held in Britain every year between mid-October and early
December. The occurrence of these events is one indication of the
multi-cultural nature of modern British life. One is Diwali, the
Hindu festival, and the other is the traditional Swedish 'Lucia
Day'.
Diwali - the
Festival of Lights - is the most popular Hindu religious festival,
although it is also celebrated by Sikhs and Jains. Diwali is the
third day of the 5-day celebration that marks the Hindu New Year.
Because Diwali is a date in the Hindu calendar, which is based on
the lunar cycle, the date in the western calendar varies from year
to year between mid-October and mid-November.
Lucia, in
contrast, is a uniquely Swedish event that takes place every year on
December 9th and recognises the longest night of the year. Using the
modern calendar, the longest night is that of 20th/21st December,
but Lucia dates from the time of the older calendar, which was 11
days earlier. For some reason, when the calendar changed, the Swedes
stayed with the date rather than the event.
Part one of
this article describes Diwali as celebrated in Britain, with some
background information on the Hindu community in this country. Part
two will talk about Lucia celebrations in England.
Hinduism is
the world's third most common religion with between 900 million and
1 billion followers: 80% of the population of India are Hindu. There
have been Hindus in Britain for a long time, and they now number
over half a million. London and Leicester, in particular, have large
Hindu populations. In the 2001 census for England, 1.1% of the
population gave their religion as Hindu and 0.7% as Sikh. Twenty
percent of the population of the London Borough of Harrow are Hindu,
while one quarter of the population of the City of Leicester are of
Indian origin. The first Hindu school will open shortly in London,
while in Leicestershire, the River Soar has been approved for the
scattering of ashes following Hindu cremations. Many towns have
Hindu temples: the one in Neasden, in northwest London, was the
largest outside India until a new one was opened near Birmingham in
August 2006.
For Hindus,
Diwali celebrates the return of King Rama and his wife Sita to his
kingdom on the last night of their 14-year exile and, to help them
find their way in the dark, their people lit small lamps to
illuminate the path. Hence the name Diwali, which is a shortened
version of the Sanskrit word Deepavali, meaning 'Row of lights'.
Hindus also hope that the lamps will help the goddess Lakshmi find
her way into their homes, because Lakshmi is the goddess of wealth.
For Sikhs, Diwali is an ancient festival and the foundation stone of
the Golden Temple in Amritsar was laid on Diwali in the year 1588.
They also celebrate the return to Amritsar of the Sixth Guru in 1620
after his imprisonment. Jains celebrate the attainment of a state of
Nirvana on this day by the founder of their religion. People
celebrate Diwali by 'spring' cleaning their houses, dressing up in
their finest clothes, and feasting. The festival is characterized by
fireworks, sweets and gifts and for this reason is especially
popular with families and children. Lamps or candles are displayed
in the windows of houses, and lights are erected in streets and
public places. Diwali celebrations take place in Britain in towns
with large Hindu populations; especially well known are those in
London and Leicester. This year (2006), the London event took place
last Sunday, October 15th in Trafalgar Square. After prayers, the
visitors (of all beliefs and none - everyone is welcome) were
entertained by traditional and modern Indian music, singing and
dancing. After dark, light displays and floating lanterns lit up the
square.
In Leicester,
the date for 2006 is next Saturday, 21st October in one of the
largest celebrations of Diwali outside India. Diwali celebrates the
victory of light over darkness, good over evil, hope over despair,
and thus carries a potent message for the future, not just for
Hindus, Sikhs and Jains, but for us all. To read more about Diwali
and its celebration in Britain, visit:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/hinduism/holydays/diwali.shtml
http://www.bbc.co.uk/asiannetwork/features/diwali.shtml
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/6049522.stm
http://www.leicester.gov.uk/index.asp?pgid=50137
http://www.venkateswara.org.uk/
About the
author: An English science graduate, I learned modern, everyday
business Swedish 'on the job' while living and working in Sweden for
11 years. I offer translation from Swedish to 'British' or
internation al English as well as English copywriting from Swedish
source material. My education and experience means that high-tech
subjects are not a problem. Full details can be found at;
www.swedish-into-english.com
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