India is a country of festivals. In India, people celebrate festivals of all religions, including Hindu, Muslim, Christian and Sikh. So it’s like there’s at least one festival to celebrate every month. Every festival is celebrated with exhibition and happiness, and each of them has a religious or mythological significance behind it. One of the most famous festivals is Diwali, the festival of lights. It is called “the festival of light” because during this festival, every street, house, shopping center and store is decorated with colorful lights. This usually happens in October or November. The date is not fixed as it is celebrated according to the Hindu calendar. People start preparations for Diwali about a month before its arrival. They clean their houses; and they also decorate their houses with beautiful and decorative items. Additionally, they also prepare traditional treats and snacks. Diwali is a five-day festival, and each day has its own tradition and importance. Say no to plagiarism. Get Custom Essay on 'Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned'?Get Original Essay The first day of Diwali is called 'Dhanteras', in which 'Dhan' means wealth and 'teras' means thirteenth as it falls on the thirteenth. day of the month of the Hindu calendar. On this day, people worship Yamraj, the God of death. They offer him prayers to bring them prosperity, well-being and protection. They also buy a new utensil, a piece of silver or gold or other precious metal as a sign of good luck on the day of 'Dhanteras'. The story of this day is about a 16 year old son of King Hima. His horoscope predicted his death by snake bite on the fourth day of his marriage, so his new wife would not let him sleep. She arranged all her ornaments and many gold and silver coins in a pile at the entrance to the bedroom and lit lamps everywhere. Later that night, she told stories and sang songs to keep her husband from falling asleep. When Yama, the god of Death, arrived at the prince's door in the form of a Serpent, his eyes were dazzled and blinded by the brilliance of the lamps and jewels. Yama could not enter the prince's room and left. Thus, the young prince was saved from the clutches of death thanks to the intelligence of his new wife, and this day was celebrated as “Dhanteras”. The second day is “Choti Diwali”. Choti means "small", and therefore Choti Diwali is celebrated just like Diwali, but on a smaller scale with fewer lights and fewer fireworks. It is also known as “Narak Chaturdashi”. According to Hindu mythology, Lord Krishna destroyed the demon Narakasura on this day. The demon Narakasura was the evil king of Pragjyotishapura, near present-day Assam in India. Narkasura's power made him arrogant and he became dangerous to everyone and even to the gods. He empowered the kingdom of Lord Indra, imprisoned sixteen thousand daughters of the gods and snatched the earrings of mother goddess Aditi, who was also the kinsman of Satyabhama, the wife of Lord Krishna. Satyabhama was really angry with what Narakasur had done, so after her request, Lord Krishna gave power to Satyabhama, and she was able to murder Narakasur by beheading him. She then saved the sixteen thousand prisoners from the clutches of Narakasur and even found the earrings of the mother goddess Aditi. In order to save the women from embarrassment, Lord Krishna married the sixteen thousand women and accepted them as his wife. Lord Krishna smeared his forehead with blood as a sign of victory over Narakasur and returned home with his wives on the morning of ChotiDiwali. The next day is called “Diwali”. “Laxmi Pooja” is one of the most important things of Diwali. Laxmi, the goddess of light, beauty, good fortune and wealth, is worshiped on the occasion of Diwali to bring prosperity to the family. She is also revered for achieving success and fortune. On this day, businessmen also practice 'Chopda Pujan' i.e. worship of account books. According to columnist Deepak Verma of the Times of India, "In some states like Gujarat, Maharashtra and Rajasthan, Diwali represents the new business year, so all businesses close their accounts and present them to Lakshmi and Ganesh during Chopda Pujan." Additionally, people light beautiful 'diyas' (candles) inside and outside their homes, and everyone enjoys the fireworks. The reason for celebrating Diwali is that Lord Ram returned to Ayodhya, a city in India and also his birthplace. He returned that day after 14 years of exile after his victory against the evil Ravan. The King of Lanka (Sri Lanka) Ravan kidnapped Lord Ram's wife (Sita) from the forest, where they were staying as per the instructions of King Dashratha, father of Lord Ram. After this, Ram attacked Lanka, killed Ravan and freed Sita from his custody. He returned to Ayodhya with his wife Sita and younger brother Lakshamana after fourteen years. Therefore, the people of Ayodhya decorated their homes and the city itself by lighting tiny 'diyas', to welcome their beloved prince Shri Ram. Ram is considered the symbol of good and positive things and Ravan represents evil. Therefore, Diwali is considered to be the festival which establishes the victory of good over evil. On the night of Diwali, people light diyas, which are again an icon of positive energy to overcome darkness. The day after Diwali is the Hindu New Year according to the Hindu calendar. People get up early on this day and usually wear new clothes specially purchased for this day. Later, they head to the temple to pray to God for prosperity and good health for them and their families. There is always a family gathering to celebrate the New Year. Family membranes exchange gifts, thoughts and New Year resolutions. Chhavi Bhatia of Indian Express surmised that "Diwali gifts [are] replaced by plants and books instead of sweets in 2009. Plants convey the concept of a green Diwali and books are a good gesture to encourage the habit of reading.” Additionally, younger people receive blessings from their elders, as this is considered respectful towards elders. People decorate their houses with 'Rangoli', a pattern made up of different colors of powder. Some people also decorate the walls of their house with different types of designs and make small footprints on the door steps of their house which resemble the footprints of Goddess Laxmi. People also perform “Govardhan Puja” on this day. Govardhan Puja worships the Govardhan mountain which is located in the city of Vrindavan in India. Lord Shri Krishna once performed Govardhan Puja with the people of Vrindavan for their protection from heavy rains. Since then, it has become a tradition for Hindus to worship Govardhan to honor this first Puja on this day. They also offer fifty-six different dishes to Govardhan on this day called “Chappan Bhog”. Finally, the fifth day of Diwali is known as “Bhai Beej” – Brothers’ Day, on which the sister invites her brother for dinner. It is called “Bhav-Bij” in Marathi-speaking communities, and the Nepalese know this festival as “Bhai-Tika”. There are different ways to celebrate this beautiful holiday, but.