How did you guys celebrate Diwali?

[Gayathri]

For me it was like a normal working day. I was at work all day and my hubby even worse worked until late night!! I didnt miss it too much when I was in the office, I went home and switched on the TV and all asian channels were about diwali...I missed it a great deal!! I thought I should spice things up and decided to make rawa kesri it was my first time and I remember mom saying its too simple to make...yeah i made it and the verdict... you guessed it!!! turned out to be a total disaster!!, considering the amount of sugar and ghee i used and not willing to throw it in the bin...I ate it by myself...and felt too nostalgic!!

Anways I hope you guys had a lovely time! Any nice thoughts about diwali to share?

[Reena]

I just went to a nearby temple, and stayed home the rest of the day and watched the special Sun TV programs. I had no work, or college, because it was Veterans Day here.

[Gayathri]

I just went to a nearby temple, and stayed home the rest of the day and watched the special Sun TV programs. I had no work, or college, because it was Veterans Day here.

oooh cool reena looks like we are the only two who had celebrated diwali, well me in a wierd way though

[camille sundram]

I have not celebrated Diwali with my family for four years.

However, this year my housemate and I decided that we'll have a real Diwali although we are the only Hindus in the area that we live. So the night before, we cleaned the house and prepared the altar for prayers. We had rice flour so we decided to make a kolam. I bought food colouring from the supermarket and spent an hour preparing the colours. There was no yellow colour, so I used turmeric.

At 3 a.m., dressed in our coats and shivering in the cold, we did a kolam in front of our house. I do not know how a kolam is done, but as my friend is from TN, she was familiar with it and she drew it whilst I filled the spaces with coloured powder.

Then we came back in and called our respective homes. My family were feasting on a breakfast of thosai, chicken curry, mutton praetel . First time in 15 years we had non-veg as amavasai fell two days later this year.

Diwali morning, we got up, had oil bath and then did our prayers at the altar, which we did up as well as we could. We also put our new clothes for blessing. Breakfast was thosai (made with Gita mix) and chilli chutney. It was fabulous.

We invited our friends over for dinner. We cooked sambar, veg, rasam, payasam, raita and had naan bread and rice. We put tealights all over the house and everyone was amazed. It was beautiful. We tied sarees and could not relax!!!

On Friday, both of us just collapsed in front of the telly!! We were too knackered.

The Diwali food finished only on Sunday.

[Gayathri]

I have not celebrated Diwali with my family for four years.

However, this year my housemate and I decided that we'll have a real Diwali although we are the only Hindus in the area that we live. So the night before, we cleaned the house and prepared the altar for prayers. We had rice flour so we decided to make a kolam. I bought food colouring from the supermarket and spent an hour preparing the colours. There was no yellow colour, so I used turmeric.

At 3 a.m., dressed in our coats and shivering in the cold, we did a kolam in front of our house. I do not know how a kolam is done, but as my friend is from TN, she was familiar with it and she drew it whilst I filled the spaces with coloured powder.

Then we came back in and called our respective homes. My family were feasting on a breakfast of thosai, chicken curry, mutton praetel . First time in 15 years we had non-veg as amavasai fell two days later this year.

Diwali morning, we got up, had oil bath and then did our prayers at the altar, which we did up as well as we could. We also put our new clothes for blessing. Breakfast was thosai (made with Gita mix) and chilli chutney. It was fabulous.

We invited our friends over for dinner. We cooked sambar, veg, rasam, payasam, raita and had naan bread and rice. We put tealights all over the house and everyone was amazed. It was beautiful. We tied sarees and could not relax!!!

On Friday, both of us just collapsed in front of the telly!! We were too knackered.

The Diwali food finished only on Sunday.

Wow!!
I envy you camille, I wish I had done that too!! This is exactly how we celebrate diwali back home in india!! Glad that you had a nice time.

[Reena]

That is a nice Deepavali.

[camille sundram]

It was.

I had someone to celebrate it this year, Gaya. Last year we just had dinner with friends - they were from the North and no one dressed up except me!!