Diwali for Kids | Safety and Health Tips | Activities for Diwali

1. Awesome Tips to Celebrate Diwali Safely www.wonderparenting.com

2. About Diwali • Diwali, also called Deepavali, is a festival of lights that stands for victory of good over evil. It is celebrated in the month of October – November that is also known as the Hindu month of Kartik. • On this day, Rama, along with his wife, Sita and his brother, Lakshmana, had returned to his capital, Ayodhya, after a long exile of fourteen years. It is believed that the people lit oil lamps all along the way to light the royal family’s path in the darkness and distributed sweets among their friends and relatives to celebrate the return of their King- the custom is followed to this day all over India.

3. On this auspicious day, Laxmi, the Goddess of Wealth, is worshiped and traders start the new financial year and open new books of accounts. Hindus get their houses cleaned and painted for the occasion. On the day of the festival, they decorate their houses with fragrant flowers and the women of many houses make a colorful ‘rangoli’ a pretty pattern drawn and filled with different shades of colored powder, at the entrance. • The evening of the Diwali festival is celebrated with a varied display of firecrackers that are supposed to scare away the evil spirits. People wear new clothes and share sweets of different kinds with their guests, friends, neighbors, and relatives. With time, Diwali has gone on to become a national festival and all Indians, irrespective of religion, caste or creed, participate in the merriment that is associated with this feast.

4. Diwali is celebrated for five days: • Day 1 –   Dwadashi, Govatsa Dwadashi • Day 2 – Trayodashi, MahalakshmiKuber Puja on Dhanteras, Dhantrayodashi, Yama Deepam • Day 3 – Narak Chaturdashi, Chhoti Diwali • Day 4 – Amavasya, Laxmi Puja, Diwali Puja • Day 5 – Pratipada, Goverdhan Puja • Day 6 – Dwitiya, Bhai Dooj

5. 9 Awesome Tips to Celebrate Diwali 1. Collect Correct Calendar for Diwali • Diwali 2019 celebration is for five days, starting from 25th October 2019 till 29th October 2019. • 25th October – Dwadashi – Dhanteras • 26th October – Trayodashi – Yama Deepam • 27th October – Chaturdashi – Narak Chaturdashi • 28th October – Amavasya – LaxmiPujan, Diwali, Goverdhan Puja • 29th October – Dwitiya – BhaiyaDooj

6. 2. Go Green for Diwali 2019 Celebration Bursting firecrackers and lighting diyas is an old way to celebrate Diwali. Create it in your meals is a new style. Make these your celebrations’ highlight. # Semolina Cherry Diya • Prepare the diya base (semi-circle) with semolina (sooji) halwa by adding yellow food color or saffron and make its flame shape with pieces of orange Cherry Petha. Decorate with different dry fruits, such as cashew nuts, raisins, pistachios, almonds, etc. This delicious Diya will make a sure shot blast in your sweet treats. # Oats Coated Paneer Fingers • Grill Paneer fingers cut in rectangular pieces by coating it with cornflour and maida paste and wrap it up with mixed spices oats. Arrange it on a plate as a cracker-like a leaf with a string made up of red tomato ketchup. Decorate it with green mint leaves on top. This will only leave smiles on everyone’s faces without any smoke or noise.

7. 3. Color Crazy Rangolis • Rangoli is believed to be drawn on festivals to express the desire for well-being and happiness. Make pretty rangolis by adding lots of chemical-free colors in it in different ways. If you do not have a perfect creative edge for rangoli, either get readymade rangoli patterns to save your time or get stencils and just sieve colors through it. You can also arrange flowers in any pretty pattern. 4. Engage Enthusiastic Children • October is a month of holidays, family time, and celebration. Instead of bursting crackers, engage your children in some productive and learning activities. Here are some Diwali Art and Craft Ideas: • Paper Lanterns • Greeting Cards • Gift Wrapping • Flower Wall Hanging • Flag Garland for Cards Party

8. 5. Clean Diwali Green Diwali • When Diwali approaches, everyone starts to clean and decorate their places. Do you know, why? It is believed that Goddess Laxmi loves cleanliness and she arrives at places that are clean and not messy. To make Goddess Laxmi happy and to welcome her, houses are cleaned, painted and decorated beautifully. Involve kids in cleaning activities. They will also learn about the organisation. Let them take out their old toys and clothes and gift them to the needy people. 6. Worship Wealth Goddess • Worship wealth Goddess Laxmi in order to take her divine blessings on this auspicious festival. Follow rituals by reciting mantras and performing aarti. 7. Make it Stylish and Safe • On this auspicious day, people get dressed up in Indian traditional attire. Wear comfortable clothes and avoid wearing nylon clothes that easily catches fire, as you are surrounded by oil lamps and crackers on Diwali.

9. 8. Fearful Fireworks • Follow all the safety precautions and instructions with regard to the use of fire-crackers. • Store them in a closed box away from the source of ignition and fire and from children. • Burst crackers in open spaces by standing at an arm’s length with a bucket of water by your side and not at crowded and congested places. • Keep an eye on children regularly and they should burn crackers only under the supervision of an adult. Do not carry infants or younger children while bursting crackers. • Take care of pets as they do not like much noise made by firecrackers. Stay with them inside. • Wear thick cotton clothes and footwear while bursting crackers. 9. Crazy Cards • Diwali celebrationin India is incomplete without Cards Party and Card games. You can arrange a card theme party or casino theme party at your home and enjoy with friends this Diwali 2019 Celebration after Diwali Pujan. It is believed that people do not sleep the whole night of Diwali to welcome Goddess Laxmi and this is the best way to be awake.

10. 22 Safety and Health Tips to Celebrate Diwali for Kids • First and foremost safety tip for Diwali comes for bursting firecrackers. Kids should burst firecrackers only under the supervision of adults. • Do not hold infants and younger kids while bursting crackers, make them enjoy the scene from distance. • Firecrackers must be bought from a licensed shop with sealed packing and a safety mark on it. • Firecrackers must be stored in a closed box and away from the source of fire, inflammable objects and ignition. • Crackers should be burst in open fields with space to avoid accidents, the place must not be congested as in streets or narrow roads. • There should not be electronic wires, switchboards open or any electric poles where you are planning to burst crackers. • People should stand at an arm’s distance while bursting crackers. Instead of using matchstick use a long candle or a long (sparkler) Fuljhadi to burst other crackers. • Children below should not be given flower crackers or rockets. • One or two buckets of water should be kept by your side when you are bursting crackers so that you can immediately dip crackers in water after bursting it to diffuse it completely. • Do not burn crackers in your hand. If any cracker is not lightening up, do not try it again and again, sprinkle or pour some water on it and move on. • Avoid wearing nylon clothes, loose clothes and flair dresses such asLehengas, Anarkalis, Dupattas which linger on the floor while walking. Wear cotton and full sleeves comfortable clothes while bursting crackers.

11. Fire – extinguisher, a blanket, and a first aid kit should be kept handy. Children can wear masks and use earplugs to avoid the problems caused by air pollution and noise pollution. • People with breathing problems should carry their inhalers with them as there is a lot of smoke all around. • Pets should be taken care of especially on this day as it is very uncomfortable for pets to bear noise pollution. Stay with them inside and make them comfortable. • Avoid lighting oil lamps near curtains, edges, and railings so that it doesn’t fell down. • Now comes sweet treats, always buy sweets on Diwali from a trusted shop and consume the same in the defined period by the shop keeper. • Avoid gifting perishable sweets and gifts to your friends and relatives as everyone is busy during festival days and could not see the gifts before time. • Use chemical-free rangoli colors, you can always use edible things such as rice, semolina, flour mixed with edible colors. • During hectic days of the Diwali festival, try to plan everything in advance and divide your tasks day by day so as to avoid last-minute rush which can make you tired and exhausted. • Avoid junk and fried food on the go. Drink plenty of fluids and carry your homemade food while moving in long traffic jams to your friends and relatives place to give them gifts during • Try to meet all the friends and relatives in groups at one common place and exchange gifts with them to save your time, money and long traffic jams during Diwali. • Children should take proper rest so that they can enjoy the festival time with joy and full happiness.

12. Thanks for watching! Wishing you all a safe and Happy Diwali!