The Hindu Festival of Lights
Prep II Form Teacher, Mrs Costello, tells us about how Prep II and Prep III learnt about the Hindu festival, Diwali, which takes place this week and celebrates the triumph of light over darkness, good over evil, knowledge over ignorance and hope over despair.
‘This week Preps II and III welcomed parent Ms Agarwal who came in to talk to the girls about Diwali. She told them the story of Rama and Sita and brought in some ‘diya’ lamps which are lit in houses during Diwali. Prep II and Prep III learnt how people clean their houses, buy new clothes to celebrate Diwali and that families eat and pray together. Prep II pupil Kaira gave a special present to her friends in Prep II to celebrate.’
Iva, Prep II, said that ‘they do fireworks’, a big part of the celebrations, while Sophia commented, ‘we heard the Diwali story of Rama and Sita’. Anne Marie said that in Diwali, ‘people put candles and they put lights’, and Mirabelle echoed this saying, ‘people put lanterns in their houses when it is Diwali’, a reference to the lights that fill houses over the festival.
Kaira said that ‘people clean their houses and put patterns on their doors. We pray and eat special foods’. Julia said that Diwali means, ‘row of lights’ and Deshna said that people ‘put Rangoli on the walls (a reference to the Rangoli artwork which is displayed, commonly depicting a lotus leaf).
Everyone in Prep II and Prep III would like to thank Ms Agarwal who came in to tell everyone in their Forms about Diwali, they learnt a great deal and enjoyed the visit immensely.
Categories: Faith Life Prep Whole School
