Ancient Recipe for Joy: Light up the Diwali Night!

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Diwali is here once again with its festive celebration.

Over the years of acculturation, Diwali has involved serious efforts to relive the
nostalgic celebrations mainly in the privacy of homes, to bring and pass on
awareness of its cultural significance and to preserve the heritage for the younger
generation.

At home, most families have their children participate in the festival preparation
and celebration, leading to the second generation of Indian Americans to grow up
knowing the history, and the traditions. Since parents, especially mothers, made it
fun, Diwali has remained a festival of fun and joy and family time.
Mothers have taken immense care to see that their young children learn about the
festival, and their cultural heritage and the festivals get accepted among their
classmates at school.

Dr. Vrutti Dave-Shukla, a pediatric dentist and a second generation Indian
American born and raised in New York, told News India Times her family loves
Diwali. She said she and her daughters light diyas around the house, make sweets,
decorate cookies, create Rangolis, and enjoy sparklers. They also perform puja
together and dress up in traditional clothing, she said.

Dave-Shukla said she shares Diwali stories with her two daughters, bringing the
festival to life through pictures and videos, also discussing the differences in
celebration in India and here in the US.

Her daughters love making rangolis, decorating, and putting up the lights, Dave-
Shukla said. “It’s a beautiful way for us to connect with our culture, and they truly
cherish the family time,” she said.

Brinda Soneji, Product Manager, a first generation immigrant in New York, told
News India Times her children love celebrating Diwali at their home with lights,
puja and food. She said her daughter even shares Diwali celebration stories with
her friends at school, and hosts Diwali party at home.

Soneji said her children love making sweets including cookies and coconut rolls,
making rangolis outside on the gravel and inside with special rangoli colors. “They
love the opportunity to dress up,” said Soneji. Her children also love meeting close
family friends and listen to stories of the festival, she said.

Professional accountant Dharini Trivedi told News India Times her family loves
celebrating Diwali with lights and diyas on the porch, and rangolis in the house.
On Diwali day, it is a must for the family to visit the temple early in the morning,
and then visit relatives and eat good Indian food, she said.
Her children also love to participate in the rangoli competition at the Diwali party,
she said.

Shreya Mehta, a senior Product Manager in a Fintech company, is a second
generation Indian American.
She told News India Times that she and her kids love to be in New York, with a
large Indian community in Long Island, many mandirs and many events, she said.

Mehta’s Diwali celebration includes a puja at home with her family, a traditional
full Gujarati dinner for Diwali, with desserts including barfi and penda, and snacks
like mathia and farsi puri, a big celebration at the temple, and a party with friends,
she said. Mehta said her children love the BAPS temple’s special kids Diwali
celebration with rangoli contests, dances and other activities.

At home, her children enjoy drawing on the driveway with chalk to make rangolis
and decorating the house. Her children like learning the cultural and traditional
significance of the festival rituals, she said.

Kalpita Parikh, a Pharmaceutical Scientist, told News India Times her family
celebrates Diwali traditionally, with decorations and food.

Parikh said her daughter began drawing rangoli at the age of 4, having seen Parikh
decorate the house, drawing rangolis and winning prizes at rangoli competitions.

Parikh’s daughter loves Diwali and is interested in rangoli and candle decoration,
and organizing interactive Diwali Trivia and Diwali games for kids at the annual
Diwali party, Parikh said. Now in medical college, Parikh’s daughter organizes a
Diwali party at her college dorm.

Ruta Dave, a former school teacher in the NY school system, and the Claims
Administrator at her husband’s Insurance company, told News India Times she
celebrates Diwali with her whole family performing Laxmi Pujan on Dhan Teras.
The whole house is decorated in flower garlands and lighted up, and later sweets
are exchanged with neighbors and friends.
Dave remembers telling Diwali stories to her sons when they were children. She
said her grown sons are spiritually inclined. They respect the Diwali tradition, she
said.

IT Specialist Poonam Shah told News India Times Diwali celebration with her
family begins with cleaning of the house, decorating the house and making sweets
with the daughter helping enthusiastically. Shah said she cooks special Diwali food
for home and for the Annakut at BAPS temple.

On Diwali day, Shah’s daughter wears an Indian dress and takes Diwali gifts and
special fusion dishes to her class. “Last year, she made Jalebi bark and rasmalai
cake,” Shah said. Her daughter also volunteers at the Parker Jewish rehab center.
At home, for her daughter’s friends, Shah organizes an interactive Diwali party,
she said.

Those countless hours and days mothers spend every year on explaining and
arousing the spirit of the festival have definitely paid off. The second generation
Indian Americans do not shy away from claiming their heritage. Instead, they feel
and share pride in it.