Diwali

This past Wednesday was the Indian celebration of Diwali or the "Festival of Lights". It is one of the major Hindu holidays and is considered a national holiday here in Guyana. Diwali is considered the celebration of the awareness of the inner light and of good triumphing over evil. Diwal is marked most often by fireworks, lighting candles and decorating one's house with lights at dusk.

My landlords, Auntie Sarita and Uncle Ronald, invited me to their Diwali celebraton, which begins with a large meal called a jiandi that is shared in the family home. Seven curry is traditionally served, which is the most amazing food ever. It's basically a variety of vegetable curries (not Indian curry but Guyana curry, so not quite as spicy and potent), served over rice and dhal puri, which is a similar to a tortilla. The meal is usually cooked over fireside instead of a gas stove and the family sits together and eats throughout the day. There is also poularii, which are fried dough balls and fried boulanger (eggplant) with sour sauce. So yummy. When the sun goes down, everyone begins lightinging pieces of cotton soaked in kerosene (very kid friendly holiday) and put them in small clay pots. The lights are placed all over the yard, the street, the veranda, and a lot of people put up Christmas lights as well. People start setting off fireworks, which are for sale everywhere during Diwali and are so cheap. My friend Yesenia came over and we walked up and down my road, looknig at the lights, eating ice cream, and setting off sparklers with kids. It was a really fun time, even though people were setting off fireworks well into the night, some of them were so loud that they set of car alarms. It was nice to spend my first Diwali with my landlords, who I consider almost like a host family because they are so nice and always include me in holidays and family events.