‘Diwaleen’: The Coinciding Celebration of Diwali and Halloween

The convergence of the festival of light and the night of spooks and scares has been dubbed ‘Diwaleen’. This term refers to Thursday’s celebrations, marking the first instance this century that Diwali and Halloween coincide on the same date. Customarily, Halloween observances include pumpkin carving, viewing horror films, and trick-or-treating, whereas Diwali traditions encompass lighting lamps, prayer, enjoying special meals, and family gatherings. Many families will be observing Diwaleen for the first time, prompting discussions on how to incorporate a Halloween element into their Diwali celebrations on Thursday. The Bhatia family, residing in Smethwick, expressed to BBC WM that this was a “nice coincidence” and that “the more celebrations, the better”. Harmohinder Upashak Bhatia, an 82-year-old grandfather, intends to merge the two festivals through culinary means, specifically with sweets. He collects the pulp from pumpkins carved by his granddaughters and uses it to prepare halwa, a traditional Indian dessert. His daughter-in-law, Bal, described it as “amazing.” She added, “If you’re on any sort of diet or calorie counting, you can’t count the calories – you’ve just got to eat it and enjoy. It’s made with love.” Mr. Bhatia, who arrived in the UK in 1965, stated that his life’s objective was to foster community unity. He remarked, “Every festival, we should be able to unite the community.” Upon his initial arrival, he noted a scarcity of Diwali celebrations. However, he gradually began observing all major festivals over time, including Halloween. His participation in Halloween celebrations is now motivated by his grandchildren. He stated, “Diwali teaches us family values togetherness and sacrifice. To keep our youngsters together, we should modernise ourselves.” Diwali, recognized globally as the festival of light, is observed by Sikhs, Hindus, and Jains. This significant religious festival represents the triumph of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance. Halloween is likewise celebrated worldwide, typically focusing on themes of spookiness and fright. The origins of Halloween are rooted in the pagan festival of Samhain, which was observed by the Celts of ancient Europe to signify the conclusion of the harvest season and the onset of winter. The simultaneous occurrence of these two holidays has led to #Diwaleen trending on social media, with numerous posts and videos illustrating how individuals plan to commemorate both events concurrently. Furthermore, tutorials are available for creating crafts that represent both festivals. Despite its ancient roots, Halloween was not a celebration that Bal, 47, participated in until recent times. She remarked, “There was no such thing as Halloween.” She added, laughing, “I think we only did it for the first time last year – and only because the kids kept saying.” Bal’s daughters, Pritika, 14, and Aradhya, 10, are enthusiastic about celebrating both Halloween and Diwali. Pritika stated, “We don’t really go trick or treating.” She continued, “We’ve done pumpkin carving, and we’ll probably do it this year too. But I’m a bit scared of scary movies.” The sisters, along with their cousin, intend to have a Halloween sleepover, yet they will also observe Diwali with their family. Pritika expressed, “I’m also excited for Diwali, because we might have fireworks and sparklers, and that’s really fun. One time we had the diyas.” Diyas are oil lamps traditionally lit during the festival. Although not actively celebrating Halloween, Pritika will wear a costume for a Halloween-themed non-uniform day at her school. Regarding Halloween night, she plans to spend a portion of it with a friend. She explained, “My plan is to go to my best friend’s house and do Halloween games with their family and have dinner there.” The Bhatia family intends to celebrate Diwaleen at home with relatives. Bal noted that this represents the most recent modification to their Diwali traditions, which have undergone significant evolution in recent years. She elaborated, “My niece, because she works in sustainability… has taught us all not to do fireworks and sparklers, because of the environmental impact. The last few years we haven’t done fireworks, so instead we light candles.”