On Monday, Oct. 28, Convent & Stuart Hall hosted a Hindu Diwali celebration in the Herbert Center Gym. Members of the school community came together to celebrate Diwali, a celebration that honors the victory of light over darkness and good over evil.
To start the school-wide celebration, participants gathered in the Herbert Center Gym during A block at 8:45 a.m. The ceremony consisted of traditional Hindu dances and student presentations — as well as performances of North Indian classical music, according to junior Winnie Chun.
“I thought it was really nice how our community was able to come together to celebrate this Hindu holiday,” Chun said. “It is really nice to see the recognition of these different holidays,”
Diwali is observed by more than a billion people across faiths and is celebrated with feasts, fireworks, family gatherings, and prayer, according to National Geographic. On the first floor of Flood Mansion, altars will be set up from Monday to Thursday of this week, where people have a space to worship, according to junior Lillian McConathy.
“It was nice to see how the student body fully embraced the celebration,” McConathy said. “All of the vibrant colors and traditional clothing was a nice change from our usual dress code,”
Students from K-12 were encouraged to come to school dressed in traditional clothing or in normal dress code with colorful accents. Along with the exceptions to the dress code, ACRE—the school’s dining service—prepared traditional foods like chana masala, coconut rice, and warm naan.
“I loved how this celebration created an inclusivity among the school’s community,” IB Biology teacher Daniel Raffa said. “Because I was teaching, my only wish would be to see the ceremony,”
Despite all of the festivities that the school had organized for Diwali, it represents only a fraction of the festivities that are performed on this holiday. Worldwide, people from all different backgrounds are united on this holiday to celebrate the gift of hope and new beginnings. “The school celebrations not only allow us to be more aware of other holidays but also learn more about other cultures,” Chun said. “I think that’s really special.”
