This week I've celebrated Diwali with Bhavana's family. It felt a little hectic this year. Last year Diwali was in October. The only event we had to contend with was Halloween. We also celebrated my sister-in-laws birthday two days before. This weekend is my birthday and next week we're hosting Thanksgiving. Whew!
As a family, we are normally surrounded by the rest of the USA going about their preparations for Thanksgiving and then Christmas. As the kids got older we wanted to celebrate their mother's culture. For a few years, we've created a tradition around Diwali that involves making rangoli. The crafting material was purchased from Michael's. Bhavna's friend Ami -- we consider her an extended family member -- has been helpful in finding creative ways to make rangoli. This year she helped the kids create a Diwali scrapbook. She wanted them to have something they could look back on when they are older. Next year my son will be in high-school. It's often a time when kids have trouble finding their identity. I hope it will help him stay grounded.
Ami had the steps to her home decorated with diya. Traditionally these are oil lamps that are left lit all night to help guide the gods to your home and to bring blessings to the home. For safety reasons we used tea lights that we extinguished before going to bed. We also have electric tea lights.
Happy Belated Birthday. Mine is tomorrow. I actually had a relaxing holiday this year in Virginia with family. The traffic was better than expected also. Roseanne
Happy Birthday, Roseanne. My daughter's 12th birthday is today.