I feel like the time when I miss home the most during college is around Diwali. I miss my mom helping me get ready in my lehenga, all the parties with friends, handheld sparklers and amazing food. So, here are some ways I have tried to recreate the Diwali experience from home while I’m at college.
- go to an indian restaurant with friends
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I love sharing my culture with my new college family. Going to an Indian restaurant not only satisfies a lot of the cravings for Diwali-time food that I have, but it also somewhat recreates the environment I had the food in. The point of Diwali food is to share it with people you care about amongst the hustle and bustle of the holiday, and sipping on some mango lassi while I make more memories with my friends is a perfect way to do that.
- dress up in indian clothes
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Desi clothing is so beautiful. The way the skirts of a lehenga fall or how an anarkali shimmers is bound to make you feel so special. At least, that’s what it does for me. Even though it is a lot harder to safety pin and button myself into the clothes without my mom there, looking the part and going through that process of getting ready is so happily nostalgic.
- attend a garba
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A lot of big college campuses have a Garba or Dandiya night around Diwali time, and it’s a great way to be around a lot of people who want to celebrate as much as you do. Garba is a dance traditionally performed in a circle around a central light or picture, and it involves a lot of twirling and graceful forward and backward stepping. Dandiya is a dance that involves a pattern of hitting handheld colorful sticks together and requires partners. Normally, you will be in a big line and change partners down the line after every 8 beats.
- listen to your favorite indian tunes
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Another really big part of Diwali parties at home is just dancing to music with friends and family. When traditional Garba or Gandiya music isn’t playing, songs from all of our favorite movies are. I love singing along especially to the songs I heard when I was growing up, and they completely encapsulate the fun and vibes of our home festivities.
I know it’s hard to recreate the entire Diwali experience you had growing up, but with these little additions, hopefully you can feel a little less FOMO from the celebrations going on at home. I know they definitely helped me feel less sad that I was missing out on all the people, outfits, dancing and great food that my parents were sending me pictures of from back home.