Diwali, the festival of lights, is known for its colourful and beautiful rangolis, rows of diyas and lamps and sweets. Although it originated with the idea of lightening every dark nook and corner, Diwali became a Festival of crackers with the passage of time but firecrackers are neither safe to use nor good for one's health as they contribute to air and noise pollution.
Healthcare experts constantly warn people about the harmful effects of fireworks and recommend that we don’t burst any for a safer Diwali. Recently, many state governments in India have announced restrictions/ bans on the sale and use of fireworks before and on Diwali. But the question arises that can Diwali be fun without crackers? Yes. Lets see how:
1) Rangoli making and using earthen diyas
Making colourful rangolis flowers and diya can be a good start to celebrate Diwali. You can also organise Rangoli making competitions in your apartments and let your kids take the responsibility to decorate the house with paper art, flower, diyas and fairy lights. This time, choose organic colours over chemical ones.
You can use earthen diyas and this way, you won't just be saving the environment, you will also be supporting the local artisans who make these diyas. To make it look even more beautiful, you can even paint and decorate the diyas. One should use smoke free diyas and avoid the electric ones.
Meanwhile, to promote Vocal For Local, the Tripura Government launched "eco-friendly" bamboo candles & diyas for Diwali. This initiative will help in reducing environmental pollution.
2) Prepare Diwali sweets at home
Buying sweets in shop is easy, but a fun way to engage everyone at home in making the sweets. Instead of spending huge amount of money on sweets and chocolates, try learning and making it at home. There are many toothsome sweets which are easy to form without using plenty of sugar and added artificial flavours, for instance – Ladoos, Kheer, Coconut Ladoos and Gulab Jammun.
3) Organise small home get togethers keeping in mind the social distancing norm
Let’s organise small Diwali parties and get together at home, wherein one can easily maintain social distancing. Invite your closed ones and engage them in dance, music, food and games. Eat the sweets and dishes you prepared at home. Distribute the sweets and home-made chocolates among your relatives.
4) Spreading smiles
Rather than spending thousands of cash on crackers and other fireworks, this money could be used to buy new clothes and gifts for underprivileged kids. This Diwali along with spending time together with your near and dear ones, do something special for the needy ones too. Invite them to your celebration and make their festival memorable. You can also consider buying stuffs from the local vendors without bargaining much. The smile that you simply will share with them are going to be so special.
Avoid plastic bags for packaging gifts or food
Avoid the usage of plastic bags when buying Diwali essentials, instead use paper or cloth bags during shopping. Try opting for handmade paper bags for packaging food items during the festivities.
