Diwali is the ‘festival of lights’ in the Hindu calendar – it lasts for five days, starting today. Hindu communities across the UK have made this into a colourful, vibrant festival, with lots of sweets, gifts, fireworks, and of course bright lights.
And – what else? – Diwali flowers!
One popular Diwali custom is the creation of Rangoli. These colourful decorative designs are placed on the floors of rooms and courtyards during festivals, or drawn on the street outside the front door.
Rangoli come in lots of shapes and sizes, but usually involve geometric patterns and beautiful colours. They may be made from coloured rice, or coloured sand – or fresh flower petals. No prizes for guessing our favourite!
Flowers also make beautiful Diwali decorations to welcome guests into your home. In some traditions, the marigold is a particularly popular flower (it says a lot for the natural beauty and vibrancy of the marigold that it’s also the flower of the Mexican Day of the Dead, and has been proposed as a national flower for the USA. What a flower!)
Everything from temples to living rooms can be decorated with stunning flowers on Diwali, making the Festival of Lights into an explosion of gorgeous floral scents and colours.
Happy Diwali!
