Winnipeggers celebrate festival of lights during the year’s spookiest day in ‘Diwaloween’ mash-up

Posted on October 31, 2024 by Peggy

Winnipeg trick-or-treaters may have found Halloween to be doubly sweet this year, with the annual celebration of all things scary falling on the same day as the South Asian festival of lights.

More than a billion Sikhs, Jains and Hindus all across the world celebrate Diwali every year with fireworks, candles — and lots of desserts.

This year, the main date of the multi-day celebration happened to coincide with Halloween.

In Winnipeg, some families took the opportunity to celebrate a scary-and-sweet mash-up — even if some found it difficult to reconcile the two very different traditions.

Sachin Tade said he and his family took about a month to plan how.

“My little one … said ‘OK, we’re going to celebrate Halloween.’ My older one said, ‘We’re going to celebrate Diwali,” Tade said.

“I said we’re not doing that: We’re celebrating both festivals. How are we going to do it? OK, let’s sit down and think about it.”

Tade’s wife, Rashmi, said even coming up with decorations was a challenge.

Watch | Diwali celebration illuminate Halloween night for Winnipeg family

Diwali celebrations illuminate Halloween night for Winnipeg family

33 minutes ago

Duration 1:34

A Winnipeg family got to celebrate two very different traditions Thursday, as the main day of Diwali — the South Asian festival of lights — fell on the same date as Halloween.

“I bought spider webs, but with Diwali we start with cleaning: We don’t want any webs around the house,” Rashmi said.

The couple eventually decided on setting up Diwali decorations indoors and keeping things Halloween-y outside.

Ghost-shaped Diwali treats

Shilpa Arora took a different approach.

“Half of my house is all lit up, with beautiful lights and then on the other side, there’s a spooky inflatable and red-colour lighting on the other half of my house,” she said.

“Even my mother-in-law is actually preparing some … traditional Diwali treats, but we are actually incorporating like the stencils you get from Dollarama and stuff, to make them more shaped like Halloween ghosts.”

Listen | Diwali and Halloween celebrations line up in Winnipeg

Information Radio – MB8:13Diwali –also known as the festival of light will light up the skies tonight–on the same night as Halloween. So what happens when two very different traditions are celebrated at the same time?

Shilpa Arora shares how she feels about about the day and what happens when west meets east in one family’s home tonight as they get ready to celebrate BOTH Diwali and Halloween

Arora said her family wanted to still keep tradition while adding a Halloween twist.

She decided on wearing a sari, but with some Halloween-inspired makeup and jewelry. Others planned to show up to their family’s gathering with outfits inspired by ghost-themed Indian films.

“My husband is … wearing a kurta with like a very big mask on top of it,” Arora said. “Even though they are traditional costumes, they’re going to have lot of Halloween drama added to it.”