India is a country of festivals. People, in India, celebrate festivals of all religions such as Hindus, Muslims, Christians and Sikhs. Therefore, it is as if there is at least one holiday to celebrate every month. Every festival is celebrated with display and happiness, and each of them has a religious or mythological significance behind it. One of the most celebrated festivals is Diwali, the festival of lights. It is known as "the festival of lights" because during this festival every street, house, mall and shop is decorated with colorful lights. It usually arrives in October or November. The date is not fixed as it is celebrated according to the Hindu calendar. People start preparations for Diwali about a month before it arrives. They clean their homes; and they also decorate their homes with beautiful and decorative things. Furthermore, they also prepare some traditional desserts and snacks. Diwali is a five day long festival and each day has its own tradition and importance. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get Original Essay The first day of Diwali is called “Dhanteras” where “Dhan” means wealth and “teras” means thirteenth because it falls on the thirteenth day of the month in the Hindu calendar. On this day people worship Lord Yamraj, the God of death. They offer prayers to him to bless them with prosperity, well-being and protection. They also buy a new utensil, a coin of silver or gold or some other precious metal as a sign of good luck on the day of 'Dhanteras'. The story behind this day is about a 16 year old son of King Hima. His horoscope predicted his death by snake bite on the fourth day of his marriage, so his newlywed wife did not let him sleep. He arranged all his ornaments and many gold and silver coins in a pile at the entrance to the bedroom and lit lamps everywhere. Later that night, she told stories and sang songs to keep her husband from falling asleep. When Yama, the god of Death, arrived at the prince's door in the guise of a Serpent, his eyes were dazzled and blinded by the brilliance of the lamps and jewels. Yama could not enter the prince's room and left. Thus, the young prince was saved from the clutches of death by the intelligence of his new bride, and the day was celebrated as 'Dhanteras'. The second day is "Choti Diwali". Choti means "small", and therefore Choti Diwali is celebrated just like Diwali only on a smaller scale with lesser lights and fireworks. It is also known as "Narak Chaturdashi". According to Hindu mythology, on this day Lord Krishna destroyed the demon Narakasura. The demon Narakasura was the evil king of Pragjyotishapura, near present-day Assam in India. Narkasura's power made him arrogant and he became dangerous to everyone and even the gods. He empowered the kingdom of Lord Indra, imprisoned sixteen thousand daughters of the gods and tore off the earrings of Mother Goddess Aditi, who was also a relative of Satyabhama, the wife of Lord Krishna. Satyabhama was really angry about what Narakasur had done, so after her request Lord Krishna gave power to Satyabhama and she was able to kill Narakasur by beheading him. He then saved the sixteen thousand captive women from the clutches of Narakasur and even found the earrings of Mother Goddess Aditi. To save women from embarrassment, Lord Krishna married all sixteen thousand women and accepted them as His wife. Lord Krishna smeared blood on his forehead as a sign of victory over Narakasur and returned home with his wives on the morning of Choti Diwali. The next day is known as "Diwali". “Laxmi Pooja” is one of the most important things in Diwali. Laxmi, the goddess of light, beauty, luck and wealth, comesvenerated on the occasion of Diwali to bring prosperity to the family. She is also worshiped for achieving success and luck. On this day businessmen also do 'Chopda Pujan' which means worship of account books. According to columnist Deepak Verma of the Times of India "in some states like Gujarat, Maharashtra and Rajasthan, Diwali represents the new business year, so all businesses close their accounts and present them to Lakshmi and Ganesh during Chopda Pujan." Also, people light beautiful 'diyas' (candles) inside and outside their homes, and everyone enjoys the fireworks. The reason for celebrating Diwali is because Lord Ram has returned to Ayodhya, a city in India and also his hometown. He returned today after 14 years of exile following his victory against the evil Ravan. The king of Lanka (Sri Lanka) Ravan, kidnapped Lord Ram's wife (Sita) from the forest, where they were staying as per the instructions of King Dashratha, father of Lord Ram. Subsequently, Ram attacked Lanka, killed Ravan and released Sita from his custody. He returned to Ayodhya with his wife Sita and younger brother Lakshamana after fourteen years. Therefore, the people of Ayodhya decorated their homes and the city itself, lighting tiny 'diyas', to welcome their beloved prince Shri Ram. Ram is considered the symbol of good and positive things and Ravan represents evil. Therefore, Diwali is considered the festival that marks the victory of good over evil. On the night of Diwali, people light the diyas, which is again an icon of positive energy to defeat the darkness. The day after Diwali is the Hindu New Year according to the Hindu calendar. People wake up early on this day and usually wear new clothes purchased especially for this day. Afterwards, they go to the temple to pray to God for prosperity and good health for themselves and their family. There is always a family that gathers to celebrate New Year's Eve. Family membranes exchange gifts, thoughts and resolutions for the new year. Chhavi Bhatia of Indian Express guesses that "Diwali gifts [are] replaced by plants and books instead of sweets in 2009. Plants convey the concept of a green Diwali and books are a good gesture to encourage the habit of reading." Also, younger children receive blessings from their elders, as it is considered respectful towards elders. People decorate their homes with 'Rangoli' which is the design made of different colors of powder. Some people also decorate the walls of their houses with different types of designs and make small footprints on the door steps of their houses which resemble the foot prints of Goddess Laxmi. On this day people also perform 'Govardhan Puja'. Govardhan Puja is the worship of Govardhan mountain which is located in the city of Vrindavan in India. Lord Shri Krishna once performed Govardhan Puja along with the people of Vrindavan for their protection from heavy rains. Since then it has become a tradition for Hindus to worship Govardhan to honor the first Puja on this day. They also offer fifty-six different dishes on Govardhan on this day which is called "Chappan Bhog". Finally, the fifth day of Diwali is known as "Bhai Beej" - Brother's Day, where the sister invites her brother for dinner. It is called "Bhav-Bij" in Marathi speaking communities, and people in Nepal know this festival by the name "Bhai-Tika". There are various distinct ways in which this beautiful festival is solemnized, but the common feature of all the rituals is the act of smearing a tilak (a sacred sign) of roli (vermilion), kesar (saffron) and rice on the forehead of the brother . from his sister as a sign of their love and protection. It is considered a great day for sister, she cooks brother's favorite dishes and prays to God for good.