The Penn State Health Multicultural BERG will host a Diwali celebration on Monday, Oct. 28, from noon to 1 p.m. in the Biomedical Research Building courtyard at Penn State College of Medicine. The event will feature dance performances and culturally relevant dress, food and music, as well as information about the holiday. It will also be available via Teams for those outside of the region.

Known as the Festival of Lights, Diwali is a Hindu holiday celebrated in India and South Asia. During the five-day festival, celebrated this year from Oct. 29 through Nov. 3, families and friends gather to celebrate and commit to making the right decisions in life. Diwali also is celebrated by the Jainism, Sikhism and Buddhism religions.

The event uses lights, candles, firecrackers and diva, or clay lamps, to represent the victory of good over evil, knowledge over ignorance and inner light over spiritual darkness.

You can pre-register for the Penn State Health Diwali celebration. Recognize that colleagues may be celebrating Diwali and schedule meetings accordingly.

Additional information on Diwali can be found in the HAF’s Diwali Toolkit – Hindu American Foundation.