Diwali for Kids!
The Festival of Lights
Diwali will next be celebrated on 13th November 2012.
Diwali is celebrated by Hindus in India and all around the world in
October or November. It is the Hindu New Year and is either a 3-day or 5-day
holiday depending on where you come from.
It is a very exciting and colourful holiday. Homes are
cleaned to welcome the New Year and windows are opened so that the Hindu
goddess of wealth, Lakshmi, can enter. It is believed that she cannot enter
a house which is not lit up, so every household burns special Diwali clay
lamps (diyas) to light the way for the goddess, which is why the holiday is
also known as the Festival of Lights.
Diwali lamps for sale in the market
Children have a holiday from school. Presents are given
and delicious holiday food is prepared and exchanged. New clothes and
jewellery are worn. Parties are held, and dice
and card games are played. Fireworks
and firecrackers are set off to warn off evil spirits, so it is a noisy
holiday too!
The last day of the holiday is a special day for
brothers and sisters called Bhaiya-Dooj (or Bhaidooj, or Bhai Dooj). Brothers give special presents to
their sisters, who cook for them and look after them. You'll find more about Bhaiya-Dooj below.
The Story of Diwali
There's a lovely, magical story associated with Diwali. New this year, we have a range of printables and colouring pages which you can use for telling and retelling the story.
The story of Diwali NEW!
Diwali Crafts
Diwali Crafts
We have many original Diwali craft ideas, including ideas for creating your own
diya and rangoli.
A rangoli is a colourful design made on the floor near the entrance to a
house to welcome guests. At Diwali, Hindus draw bright Rangoli patterns to
encourage the goddess Lakshmi to enter their homes.
Learn more about Rangoli, look at some inspirational Rangoli photos, and
try your hand at our Rangoli craft ideas and Rangoli colouring pages!
Rangoli
For Diwali, try making one of our fuse bead rangoli designs and a diya,
or enjoy some general India related designs such as our gorgeous Indian
elephant!
Diwali Fuse Bead Patterns
Diwali Printables
Diwali cards to print, Diwali cards to print and colour, Fireworks
acrostic printables, Happy Diwali gift/money envelopes,
diya alphabets, and more!
Diwali printables
Bhaiya-Dooj (Bhai Dooj)
Learn about and celebrate this special day for brothers and sisters..
Bhaiya-Dooj printables
Diwali Colouring Pages
We've got some really pretty Diwali colouring pages and "Happy Diwali"
colouring cards. New this year are are a set of colouring pages featuring Rama, Sita and Hanuman and telling the story of Diwali, too.
Diwali colouring pages
Lots NEW!
Rangoli are a beautiful designs drawn outside the entrance to a house by
Hindus at Diwali. We have 18 new rangoli designs...
Rangoli colouring pages
Diwali cards to print and colour
Diwali Puzzles
Diwali Puzzles
More About Diwali
Diwali
Recipes
Diwali
Links
Learn more about India
If you are interested in Diwali, why not find out more about India too and
explore our India for Kids theme page?
India for Kids
Dancing at Diwali! |
