Curiosity

Diwali is a festival of lights which originated in South Asia and is celebrated over five days. The dates change every year, but it is always celebrated in October or November and is now celebrated around the world. Diwali comes from the word deepavali , which means ‘ rows of lighted lamps ’. During the festival, these lamps, called diyas , are used everywhere. They symbolise the victory of light over darkness, or good over evil. Diwali is celebrated differently in different regions and by different religions and is a bank holiday in many countries, including India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Myanmar, Singapore, Malaysia, Mauritius, Fiji, Guyana, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago. It is often considered a Hindu festival, but in fact it is also celebrated by Sikhs, Jains, Newari Buddhists, Christians and Muslims too. Here are some of the things that happen during the five days of Diwali. Day One – Dhanteras, or Day of Fortune The first day has a focus on fortune, both good luck and money or valu...

October 31 is Halloween and is now celebrated in many countries around the world, but do you know anything about the origins of this scary special day?  The origins of Halloween If you think of Halloween, you probably think of scary carved pumpkins, all kinds of fancy dress and children asking for sweets. And if you think of a country that celebrates Halloween, you probably think of the United States first. Americans and Canadians have adopted Halloween in a big way, but Halloween traditions actually come from 16th-century Ireland, Scotland and England. The tradition of Halloween on 31 October comes from the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain. Samhain was the Celtic New Year and they celebrated it on 1 November because that was the end of summer and harvest time (life) and the beginning of winter (death). It was also the time for ghosts to return to earth for a day. People lit a big fire, wore special clothes made of animal skin and hoped to be safe from the ghosts and ...