South Asian Student Association, a club that seeks to empower South Asian voices and inform on South Asian cultures, is working to celebrate and spread awareness on the holiday of Diwali, an important holiday in Indian traditions.
Communities around the world celebrate Diwali in the fall with their families and friends. Diwali is a religious holiday originating from the Indian subcontinent, and is celebrated in Hindu, Sikh and Jain traditions. Although different communities within these religions celebrate the holiday differently, Diwali is celebrated to honor the fight of good versus evil, and how light always prevails. This significance has led to the use of light being a major aspect of celebration for the holiday, with many families lighting candles or even doing fireworks.
“This year for Diwali, we are going to speak over the morning announcements and let the student body know what diwali is and when it is being celebrated. We are also throwing a Garba to celebrate the holiday. The last thing we are doing is decorating around the school with rangoli, which is chalk-like drawing with colors,” senior Niyati Patel, the leader of SASA, said.
Garba is a traditional Gujarati folk dance, and although the tradition is specific to one region of India, it has become a very popular way to celebrate many holidays, especially Diwali. SASA hosted their very own Garba on Nov. 11 to celebrate the holiday. SASA encouraged students of all backgrounds to participate, regardless of their knowledge or experience with the culture.

“We did Garba for the most part to celebrate diwali, and generally have fun. We had diwali-related arts and crafts there as well as a Bollywood and Hollywood dance party. It’s a great experience to get to see what a certain culture is like and understand it a lot better. The Garba is just a great opportunity to learn about and participate in a major Indian cultural event,” Patel said.
Increasing awareness about Diwali and making sure it is celebrated in the school is just a part of SASA’s work throughout the year, as the members are dedicated to sharing South Asian traditions and culture throughout the year
“By sharing culture and understanding other people’s culture, you better understand them better and can create better connections with them. By celebrating South Asian culture with the whole school, we are teaching the whole school about different parts of South Asian heritage. Other students in the school can get to understand South Asian practices better, and can be more considerate of what people are doing with their lives that might affect how they act,” Patel said.