Diwali Vs Halloween....

[Bathsheba]

AIBU to think that Diwali (a major festival in a major world religion) should be celebrated at least as much as Halloween (a festival for the very few actual pagans in the world but for the vast majority of people a dress up event).

Now - before we go any further a few things...

• I am a trained secondary Religious and Moral Education teacher, who lived in leicester for a while where Diwali is a huge celebration so I am especially aware of things like this

• I am a commited evangelical Christian and I don't actually do Halloween anyway. We will be attending a party on friday, but my church is running a children's "dress up" party as a Halloween alternative (there won't be any witches, ghosts, ghouls, devils etc) and my girls will go dressed as a cat and a bumble bee.

I've just collected DD1 from Preschool (attached to her Primary School) and commented to the teacher that I guess they will be doing a lot of fab things for Diwali (its such a great celebration to do with young children because of the lights and fireworks - so much potential for a lot of activities) and all she replied was "well yes we'll be doing a little bit for Diwali, but we can't do very much"....all the time whilst in a classroom decorated with pumpkins and witches hats etc etc...

I don't understand WHY they "can't do very much" for Diwali - its a fantastic festival. DD1's preschool last year (different school) did a whole week on Diwali and told them stories and drew pictures etc etc (okay, from my memory they didn't actually do it at the right time of year when it was Diwali, but they covered it...)

Surely Diwali is a bigger fstival and fits far more in with the RE curriculum than Halloween does...

Halloween isnt a pagan festival. Its a Christian festival. The eve of the feast of All Hallows to be precise.

I'd love to celebrate DIwali.
I'm a christian (catholic) but am happy to celebrate anyone's festival!

dd1 and dd2 have done a bit on diwali but nothing on halloween iirc

it is a church school so I would think not

not bothered either way tbh, they bring better things home with Diwali (I have a fab tealight from dd1 from years ago from playgroup)

Oh, yeah.
I'm not dropping halloween. Iwant them both, lol!

Gues it depends on the school - dd's school has "done" Diwali this year. They've learnt all about it and madetheir own lamps out of clay.

I have just had this very same conversation with my DP! Having been a prisoner to Ceebiebies today (i have a tummy bug) so have watched lots to do with Diwali - it looks fantastic, i would much rather my catholic daughter celebrate this rather than halloween.

I think possibly the reason for this is that halloweeen is really seen as a bit of fun - although what fun there is in dressing up as witches and bloodstained ghouls trying to scare everyone i don't know. I certainly know nothing for the religeon behind it. When i was at school i remember it being alluded to as All Hallows day, or all saints day - something along those lines.

I said to my DP, i would feel a bit odd celebrating diwali as i don't really know anything about it, but my previous paragraph has rained on that argument. I think the OP is definately right, we should be encouraged to celebrate festivals of some of the major religions in this country.

I do have a but though - the but being, would followers of this religion be offended in some way if what seems to me to be a very devine festival is taken on by the rest of us as an excuse for a party, the same way Halloween and Christmas is.

Other than that, i think it would be great, i would much rather see those little ornate food statues etc on display in school than a few cut out pumpkins and witches hats.

Maybe if we, as a country were to embrace the cultures of other religions that now reside here, we might actually be able to get along and understand each other a bit more.

Lets do both! but without the frigging fireworks - my dog is about to have a breakdown thanks to Divali/bonfire night.

and Shaunthesheep - of course HAlloween is Pagan, the christians nicked it off us in the first place!

exasperated. Yes, but it works both ways. It would be nice if some were able to embrace our cultures too whilst deciding to make this country their home.

Daphenmoon - and 'some' do, we had xmas dinner with our sikh neighbours, my Hindu friend and I always exchange xmas pressies, she does the whole shabang with her Muslim Husband. My BF growing up was Jewish and did both at her house.

So not really sure what you are getting at

Oh, you mean all those people who just happen to be Hindu, or Muslim and were BORN HERRE don't turn this into a bloody racist debate i don't think that was what the OP was after, go and spout your BNP diatrabe elsewhere

Both get celebrated in our house - DP is from a broadly Hindu cultural background and DS is 'doing' Diwali fo the third time at schol

Does Halloween get covered in RE????

Diwali IS celebrated in this country there was a hug Diwali event in Trafalgar square the other w/e ( a bit early,but still!), and if you go to your nearest centre of asian community you will find people out and about, lights, sweets etc. But Hallowen is a long longstanding tradition in this country, so 'bedded in' to the calendar of more people.

IME Hindus are not especially 'precious' about their worship or celebrations and will welcome anyone who takes their shoes off in the Mandir!

Cook a curry, buy some fab sweets from your nearest Indian Sweet shop, light divas (to welcome the gods, or if you prefer to think of it that way, the different quallities they represent - into your home) and set off fireworks in honour of Hanuman's fight against Ravanna, and especially setting fire to the city with his flaming tail. That's what will go on in our house on Saturday, anyway....amid a selection of committed atheists!

oh, X-posted with Daphne.

FFS.

'They' - that would be DP's wider and indeed first generation immigrant family, then - are delighted to celebrate christmas, halloween and bonfire night. And Eid.
And it's no big obligation or favour, you know, to enjoy someone else's festival - just do it if you want.

I love festivals. Will be collecting dd shortly from nursery where they have had a diwali party including lighting the diva(sp?) candles they made. I think we should embrace more of them - however the nursery has about 10 A4 folders with info on different festivals they try to acknowledge throughout the year - so it can go a bit OTT.

hmmmphhh, im feeling a bit left out now . I don't know any hindus and there are no indian sweetshops around here - wail!!! Maybe i could make some - burrows around in cupboard for book of indian cooking im always too lazy to cook from.

Mind you, i will give the fireworks a miss, i don't much like them on bonfire night - drives the dogs mad!

I was always under the impression that halloween was a celebration of all things american - Twick or Twweet .

Can someone tell me why paganism is viewed as a bad thing anyway? The christian church seems very anti - but i remember sitting in church once and the priest saying that as catholics we should be welcoming and accepting of other religions - but i don't mind admitting my total ignorance.

Hedgewitch, that seems like a good thing to do - i will take a moment to remember my Dad on that night

does that mean i can tease my scottish friend about being a tightwad even more then?

because gorging on chocolate and sweets and wearing costumes and dooking for apples is more fun than Diwali .

Ohh, i wouldnt say that expat, not from what I'VE just seen on Ceebeebies about diwali, it looks far more fun but we could just do both

don't they exchange gifts at Diwali? CBeebs seemed to think so.

more gifts so close to Xmas!

nah, just bring on the sweeties.