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So for those who don't have a clue, this friday is the Indian holiday/festival known as Diwali. After reading a story or two in the newspaper, I just noticed some uncanny similarities between the two. As for who started the tradition first, I have no clue.
Diwali
- A ton of sweets, from cakes to little desserts
- Kids go out and play with decorative lanterns
- Use of firecrackers
- Large family banquets
- Indians pray to Lakshmi, the Goddess of Fortune for the next Hindu year to come. Kids receive money from their elders.
- People purchase Ganesh religious statues, who symbolizes the god of prosperity, as gifts for friends, family, or for themselves as ornaments
Chinese (Lunar) New Year
- Every household will have a special dish that has like 9 different compartments that store different types of sweets
- Kids go out and play with decorative lanterns
- Use of firecrackers
- Chinese people have various gods / demi-gods that they pray to during the time, but the God of Fortune (Cai Shen) is a popular one. Kids get money from their elders in the form of red-envelopes
- People purchase Cai Shen statues and place them everywhere.
It's not surprising that the two cultures once celebrated the same holiday, but eventually were separated, while small minor details are what differentiate the two holidays.
Diwali
- A ton of sweets, from cakes to little desserts
- Kids go out and play with decorative lanterns
- Use of firecrackers
- Large family banquets
- Indians pray to Lakshmi, the Goddess of Fortune for the next Hindu year to come. Kids receive money from their elders.
- People purchase Ganesh religious statues, who symbolizes the god of prosperity, as gifts for friends, family, or for themselves as ornaments
Chinese (Lunar) New Year
- Every household will have a special dish that has like 9 different compartments that store different types of sweets
- Kids go out and play with decorative lanterns
- Use of firecrackers
- Chinese people have various gods / demi-gods that they pray to during the time, but the God of Fortune (Cai Shen) is a popular one. Kids get money from their elders in the form of red-envelopes
- People purchase Cai Shen statues and place them everywhere.
It's not surprising that the two cultures once celebrated the same holiday, but eventually were separated, while small minor details are what differentiate the two holidays.
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