Diwali, the festival of lights, is celebrated by over a billion people with lamps, sweets, prayers and family feasts.
What do people traditionally burn in a clay diya at Diwali?
Paraffin wax
Oil or ghee
Beeswax
Incense paste
Right! Diyas are small clay lamps filled with oil or ghee and a cotton wick.
Diyas burn oil or ghee with a cotton wick, not wax. Candles are a modern addition.
In the Ramayana tradition, what does Diwali celebrate?
Rama's birth in Ayodhya
Rama's marriage to Sita
Rama's return to Ayodhya
Rama's crowning as a child
Yes! Lamps were lit to welcome Rama, Sita and Lakshmana home after 14 years of exile.
It celebrates Rama's return to Ayodhya after exile, when people lit lamps to welcome him. His birth is Rama Navami.
Lakshmi, worshipped on the main night of Diwali, is the goddess of what?
Knowledge and music
Removing obstacles
Wealth and prosperity
Learning and the arts
Correct! Families pray to Lakshmi for wealth and good fortune in the year ahead.
Lakshmi is the goddess of wealth and prosperity. Knowledge and music belong to Saraswati, and Ganesha removes obstacles.
Scratch the card to reveal a Diwali fact
The name Diwali comes from the Sanskrit 'Deepavali', meaning 'row of lights'.
Where is a rangoli usually made for Diwali?
On the floor near the entrance
On the front door
On the dining table cloth
On the ceiling of the prayer room
Spot on! Rangoli is drawn on the floor at the entrance to welcome guests and Lakshmi.
Rangoli is made on the floor, usually by the entrance, using coloured powder, rice or petals to welcome guests and Lakshmi.
On which moon night does the main Diwali celebration fall?
The full moon of Kartik
The first crescent after Navratri
The half moon of Ashvin
The new moon of Kartik
Right! Diwali falls on Amavasya, the darkest night, which is why lamps matter so much.
Diwali falls on the new moon (Amavasya) of Kartik, the darkest night of the month, making the lamps shine brightest.
Flip the card for a Diwali fact
Leicester hosts one of the biggest Diwali celebrations outside India, drawing tens of thousands of people.
Did you know?
Jains celebrate Diwali too
Diwali is on the same date yearly
Diyas are clay lamps
Diwali falls in spring
Homes are cleaned before Diwali
How long is the full Diwali festival, as widely celebrated in North India?
Three days
Two days
Five days
Nine days
Correct! It runs from Dhanteras to Bhai Dooj over five days.
Diwali spans five days, from Dhanteras to Bhai Dooj. Nine days is Navratri.
What is traditionally done on Dhanteras, the first day of Diwali?
A day-long fast
Buying gold, silver or utensils
Silent meditation
Re-enacting Rama's birth
Yes! Buying gold, silver or new kitchen utensils on Dhanteras is thought to bring good luck.
On Dhanteras people buy gold, silver or new utensils, which is believed to bring prosperity.
Who is honoured on Bhai Dooj, the last day of Diwali?
Parents
Brothers and sisters
Grandparents
Husbands and wives
Right! Sisters pray for their brothers, who give gifts in return.
Bhai Dooj honours brothers and sisters: sisters pray for their brothers' long life, and brothers give gifts.
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Why play cards at Diwali?
Many families play card games on Diwali night, a tradition linked to a legend of Shiva and Parvati playing dice.
Sikhs mark Diwali as Bandi Chhor Divas. What does it remember?
Guru Nanak's birthday
Rama's return home
Mahavira's attaining nirvana
Guru Hargobind's release from prison
Correct! It marks Guru Hargobind's release from Gwalior Fort with 52 princes.
Bandi Chhor Divas remembers Guru Hargobind's release from prison with 52 princes. Mahavira's nirvana is what Jains mark.
Which of these is a sweet often shared as mithai at Diwali?
Pakora
Samosa
Ladoo
Dhokla
Yes! Ladoos, round sweets of flour, ghee and sugar, are a Diwali favourite.
Ladoo is the sweet: round balls of flour, ghee and sugar. Pakora, samosa and dhokla are savoury snacks.
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Question 1: What do people traditionally burn in a clay diya at Diwali?
Question 2: In the Ramayana tradition, what does Diwali celebrate?
Question 3: Lakshmi, worshipped on the main night of Diwali, is the goddess of what?
Question 4: Where is a rangoli usually made for Diwali?
Question 5: On which moon night does the main Diwali celebration fall?
Lightning round 1
Question 6: How long is the full Diwali festival, as widely celebrated in North India?
Question 7: What is traditionally done on Dhanteras, the first day of Diwali?
Question 8: Who is honoured on Bhai Dooj, the last day of Diwali?
Question 9: Sikhs mark Diwali as Bandi Chhor Divas. What does it remember?
Question 10: Which of these is a sweet often shared as mithai at Diwali?
Made with AI. This quiz was made with AI, which can make mistakes.
