Diwali is the Indian “festival of lights”—a holiday that celebrates the triumph of good over evil. Diwali is a five-day celebration where friends and family gather to light their brightest lanterns to rejoice in the victory of light over darkness. While there are many traditions during this festival, on the second day of Diwali homes are decorated with diyas (candles, lamps and lights) along with beautiful designs and patterns on floors known as Rangoli. Rangoli is thought to bring good luck, prosperity in the house and in the family, and to welcome guests.
We have been reading books about the traditions of Diwali the past couple of days during circle/story time. Books are such a beautiful way to open a child's mind to the beauty of each culture and their special traditions. The more children learn and see representation of all cultures in classrooms and in our homes, the more knowledge and understanding we provide for everyone while making every child feel seen and heard in their community.
To set this invitation to decorate Rangoli designs with loose Parts we provided place mats as the base to create, a tinker tray full of a variety of colorful loose parts, and diyas + tea lights. The children were invited to create and decorate unique designs.
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