Although Diwali is not celebrated until Nov 3rd in India, New Zealand holds a Diwali Festival in October.
Diwali celebrations took place in Auckland today and continue tomorrow. They were outdoor celebrations of art, culture, dance and food in Queen St and Aotea Square. Christchurch will hold a Diwali Festival in the Arena next Saturday and Wellington next Sunday. In Wellington, the celebrations will finish with fireworks in Frank Kitts Park on the harbour.
Diwali is a celebration of light. This shows good winning over evil, and is a sign of new life. It is a 5-day public holiday in India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Singapore, Fiji and some other countries. It is just as important as Christmas is in Christian countries.
Many Indian people moved to Fiji around 1900 to work in the sugar industry. Recently many Fijian Indian people immigrated to New Zealand. In the 2006 New Zealand census, 5616 people said that they were Fijian Indian. They enjoy the Diwali festival in New Zealand also.
Listen to October 22nd 2012 to hear about Diwali celebrations last year.
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