Lines of lamps and candles illuminate the night in the houses of many South Asians as they come together to celebrate one of the largest festivities of the year, Diwali, on Oct. 31 to represent and display principles of kindness, intelligence and wealth.
Diwali, also referred to as Deepavali in South India, is the celebration of good and victory in life. It is celebrated by many South Asian families through traditions such as wearing new cultural clothes, feasting with family and friends and lighting diyas, which are small oil lamps believed to attract wealth and prosperity.
“I always really like decorating for Diwali with all of the lanterns and lights because it’s just always so pretty and nice to add to our house but it’s also a really good reminder of our beliefs,” senior Divya Sundararajan said. “I also just really like getting together with all of my family and friends because it’s just a really fun time to wear our cultural clothes and get together to celebrate.”
Northwood’s South Asian Student Association Club hopes to educate others about these practices and create a comfortable environment for South Asians to embrace their culture.
“Being a part of SASA has really helped me learn even more about my own culture and meet and connect with more people to celebrate it with, and the huge Diwali party we have every year is just a big part of that,” SASA president senior Malaika Mateti said. “It’s a really different bond that you can have with people when you are able to connect over your culture because things as small as the newest Bollywood movie or big celebrations like Diwali are just so special and it brings a different level of community and fun to my school experience.”
Other student organizations, like NTV, also work to foster cultural representation of Diwali on campus. According to NTV member senior Akhila Dhurjati, NTV’s Diwali segment aims to highlight South Asian culture through Diwali traditions, while celebrating the theme of good triumphing over evil.
“Taking time in the NTV segment to just show people what Diwali looks like for some many people at school really just helps students feel more connected and comfortable with each other,” Dhurjati said. “The goal of NTV is to update students about large, important things on campus and Diwali is one of the most widely celebrated holidays, and being someone that celebrates Diwali personally, this segment is especially important to me and it just makes me feel heard and represented.”
Mateti says sharing culture is one of the most rewarding aspects of being in the Northwood South Asian community, and Diwali is the perfect time for it. The OC SASA Diwali party, one of the club’s biggest events, brings together students from all Irvine high schools to celebrate with dancing, traditional clothes and food.
“The OC SASA Diwali party is open to literally anyone interested in participating because like with any culture, celebrating the diversity that our culture brings is so important,” Mateti said. “You can also just learn so much about a person based on their culture and religion and their traditions. There’s so many unique things about all cultures and putting attention on all the unique things about different communities is just so important and fun.”
Attend SASA meetings on Wednesdays in Room 931 or join the club at their Diwali event on Nov. 24 to learn more about this holiday.