I am always pumped up and excited at this time of the year. Not only is this season full of holidays such as Thanksgiving and Christmas, but it also is a time when many Indian festivals are celebrated.
Diwali is one of the biggest and most celebrated festivals in India and is also my favorite. It is also known as the Indian New Year.
Every year, I wait impatiently for this to come, and as it comes closer and closer, an excitement sparks inside me.
But after having lived in India for most of my childhood and celebrating all the Indian festivals there, it feels quite different celebrating them here in the United States. Celebrating it over there was totally different and lots of fun with family and friends.
On Diwali, we dressed up with new and colorful Indian dresses, decorated our house with diyas (lights) and rangolis (decorative colorful patterns) and ate many Indian sweets. At night, fireworks filled the sky, and even though I always used to be scared of them, I also enjoyed them a lot.
Here in the United States, it’s still my favorite festival, but I can’t celebrate it to that extent. I still try to follow as many traditions as I can, but it is really difficult to go all out, especially during school.
So every time this season comes around, I feel nostalgic and always end up missing those days a lot.
Happy celebrations!
Wonders in Dreamland 