There are lots of lights at Diwali time.
It is a big holiday in India.
Farmers pray for good crops.
There are fireworks and presents.
People wear new clothes.
A celebration is a happy time when people get together in honour of something special.
Different religions or countries each have their own celebrations or way of celebrating.
Diwali is a big festival in India.
It is celebrated some time in October or November after the harvest is finished and before the new crops are planted. Farmers thank the gods for good crops and pray for another good year. They pray to the goddess Lakshmi, who brings wealth.
The goddess Lakshmi is the goddess of wealth. You can see gold coins pouring from one of her right hands into a pile of coins in front of her.©iStock
Diwali is important to people of many beliefs so it is a festival that everyone in India enjoys. People believe the goddess Lakshmi cannot go into a house that is not lit up so they light lamps in their houses. So Diwali is known as a festival of lights. The meaning of the lights is that light wins over darkness and good triumphs over evil.
Everyone decorates their home and gives each other sweets and gifts. People wear new clothes and special food is eaten.
Hands painted with henna designs. The paint is made from the root of of the henna plant. ©iStock
Some ladies have patterns painted on their hands. A paste made from the roots of a henna plant is painted on their hands in complicated patterns which last for a few days.
There are also noisy and colourful fireworks. Diwali lasts for 3 to 5 days.
A rangoli pattern ©Getty Images
People make colourful patterns called Rangoli on the floor near the front door of their homes. The bright patterns welcome the goddess Lakshmi and invite her to come into the house. The patterns are made using flour, rice grains and coloured chalk. The patterns include birds, flowers and fruits. Rangoli are about 60 cm square, but sometimes a whole floor is decorated.
During Diwali there are fairs held all over India. They are like markets and farmers sell their crops, and there are stalls selling sweet and spicy foods. There are jugglers, dancers, acrobats, snake charmers, puppet shows and fortune tellers. There are rides on ferris wheels and animals such as elephants and camels.