Diwali

This week, our college has celebrated one of the most important Indian festivals - Diwali 🪔. 

Diwali is the festival of lights that is mostly celebrated by Hindus, Sikhs and Jains. It symbolises the victory of good over evil and commemorates the seventh deity of Vishnu- Lord Ram, returning back home to Ayodhya after a 14 year exile. 

Big lunches and dinners are made, friends and extended families are called home and mithais (sweets) are exchanged as a symbol of hope and victory. 

As it is called the ‘festival of lights’, diyas (lamps) are lit at home and families get together to play with sparklers and fireworks to further celebrate Indian culture. 

Our wonderful leadership team at the school had taken up the responsibility to celebrate this festival by sticking posters about Diwali and Hindu gods & deities across the school to enlighten everyone about the background of the celebration and what it means to all those who celebrate it. 

Many songs, from several Indian cinematic films, were also played during the morning, recess and lunch time bells and we also decorated the school with rangoli (cultural chalk drawings- pictures below) to replicate how the festival is celebrated in India. 

To finally bring everyone together, we applied Mehendi (henna) to the college community and many students and staff got their hands designed with henna from our amazing team (see pictures below)

On Friday, to celebrate every individual’s culture and heritage, we encouraged our school community to wear bright-coloured ornaments and accessories like bangles/bracelets, earrings, scarves and many more to build recognition for this very fun festival, Diwali, and the diversity at our school. 

Overall, it was a very enjoyable week and our college community has definitely grown more inclusive towards each other. Celebrating festivals like this from regions all over the world at the school will definitely continue to bring the college closer together. शुभ दीवाली 🪔🎇🛕Happy Diwali 🪔🎇🛕