The festival Diwali is coming up (I had mistakenly said that the previous nine day festival was Diwali, it wasn't) so we have no school this week. When explained to me, people have said that Diwali is like our Christmas, but it seems to me to be more like a Christmas and New Years eve spread over 5 consistent days with as much energy and celebration on the first as on the last. Large amounts of fireworks are used, strings of lights are hung, and the little "diya" lamps are put all over the house so that the god knows where to come to bless.
For Diwali, every house had to be cleaned. When I say cleaned, I mean CLEANED! Today all of the cushions were taken off of the couches, the couches moved and turned upside down, all pillow and couch covers were removed, every drawer and shelf was emptied and cleaned, every corner swept and dusted, a hose was even run into to house and the floors were flooded and washed. I wish I had taken pictures.... The usual maids, the driver, and another man all spent the day in the house helping clean. There was no surface left unwashed. Even the chairs in the garden were scrubbed down. It was the most intense cleaning I have ever seen in my life. This cleaning happens every year for the festival. In some houses, they even repaint or bleach the houses, it's the busiest time of year for painters. My host mother told me that wherever you go, leading up to Diwali, you will see people cleaning and painting.
Diwali is also a time to buy many new things. So far, my host family has gotten both a new cell phone, and a new landline, some towels, a few clothing items, and many other things. On Diwali, it's custom to wear brand new clothing so we will be clothes shopping this week too. This year, Diwali is on the 5th of November.
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