Candles, fireworks and oil lamps will light up Diwali celebrations across Northern Ontario this weekend, India’s largest and most important holiday.

The “Festival of Lights” is celebrated by more than a billion people around the world. Reflecting India’s multicultural and diverse community, the celebrations and stories behind the event are equally varied.

Chandrima Chakraborty, a professor of cultural studies at McMaster University, explains that Deepavali, or Diwali, gets its name from the row of clay lamps that many Indians light on that day.

The most popular legend associated with Diwali comes from the Hindu epic, the Ramayana. It is the day when Rama, with his wife Sita and his brother Lakshmana, returns to the kingdom of Ayodhya after 14 years of exile. Meanwhile, Sita is kidnapped by the powerful demon king Ravana.

“Ram now represents light and goodness, (returns) to Ayodhya and (creates) what is known as Ram Rajya or the Kingdom of Ram, which is a reign of peace, harmony, justice and “fairness,” says Chakraborty, noting that Diwali signifies the victory of light over darkness.

In Sikhism, Diwali is known as Bandi Chhor Divas. It commemorates the day when their sixth Guru, Guru Hargobind Singh Ji and 52 princes were released from imprisonment by a Mughal emperor. When the Guru and the princes returned home, everyone lit candles to celebrate their freedom.

“When it comes to Diwali, there is no single story or narrative. It is celebrated differently across India depending on the region you come from and the tradition you belong to,” Chakraborty said .

The lighting of lamps, candles and fireworks during Diwali represents the hope, joy and collective spirit of communities coming together for the celebration.

How do we celebrate Diwali?

There are different ways to celebrate this day, including food, gifts, prayers, fireworks, and sweets.

Chakraborty says she celebrates by creating Rangoli, a work of art created from dry rice flour, colored sand, flower petals or colored rocks.

“As a child, I was responsible for trying to attract Lakshmi into the house. It was about drawing Rangoli all over the house and leaving all the doors open, lighting the house, hoping that Lakshmi would stop and take a break at our place and not pass us by,” Chakraborty said, referring to Goddess Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth.

Dr. Prashant Jani of the Thunder Bay Vedic Cultural Center says his earliest memories of Diwali are of his mother preparing food.

“When I was a child, Diwali was the day when we got up early in the morning, say 4 am, took a shower then went to the temple to pray, then came back and enjoyed delicious treats. Our mother used to prepare a variety of food products,” Jani said.

“Diwali means a lot of fireworks. All over India, one could see hundreds of fireworks.”

Many temples invite the public to attend local celebrations, learn about traditions, and taste Diwali cuisine. Dr. Jani notes that the Vedic Cultural Center is hosting a celebration and prayer on Saturday, November 2 at 6 p.m.

“We cook over 200 varieties of food items. There are plays, dances, quiz competitions, singing competitions, fireworks, lots of fun activities as well as a meet and greet between all the families and friends,” he said.

Karanbir Singh Badesha, spokesperson for the Greater Sudbury Sikh Temple, says a large community celebration will be held at the city’s two gurudwaras Friday evening.

“We have a common prayer for the well-being of the community around 9 p.m. Afterwards, people can have a community dinner, which will be served… with different cuisine, but vegetarian,” Badesha said.

Shaminder Parmar, creator of the Diwali 101 course at an Edmonton recreation center, encourages community engagement from neighbors.

“We get questions like: How can I participate? Or if I wanted to give my neighbors a gift, is that okay? Or would anyone be offended if I dressed up in clothes traditional Indian traditions to celebrate Diwali if I’m not part of the culture? These are the kinds of important and fun conversations we want to see and have within the community,” Parmar said.