To celebrate Diwali, we created an Indian themed feast. Diwali is celebrated in India and all over the world. Students made coconut dahl, chicken madras, samosa and sweets that are traditionally given as Diwali gifts.
Diwali is known as the festival of lights and represents light over darkness, knowledge over ignorance, good over evil and hope over despair.
We discussed the importance of the religious festival and how families and friends come together to feast as part of their celebrations. We looked at some of the traditional flavours and ingredients used in Asian cooking and why they use them.
In RE we learnt about the diya which is a traditional oil lamp made from clay, and used to decorate and brighten homes, shops and public places during Diwali. We then had a go at making our own diyas from paper to decorate our classroom with during Diwali.
We also created our own Rangoli patterns, Rangoli is a form of folk art which originated in the Indian subcontinent, where it’s still widely practised today. Rangoli consist of bright, colourful and intricate designs, and they serve a religious and symbolic purpose - to welcome Lakshmi, the Hindu goddess of wealth, as well as any visiting guests. The holiday of Diwali is commonly associated with the goddess Lakshmi, and so it’s common for people to create colourful rangoli patterns to welcome her into their homes. Typically, women and girls will create rangoli, but men and boys may sometimes take part in this tradition as well.