A Guide To The Festival Of Lights

By JUICE Malaysia  •  19 Oct 2022 in Sponsored

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Although Deepavali is an annual national celebration, many still do not know about the celebration’s background and nuances, which is why Perodua came up with a short ad to showcase that the Festival of Lights is more than just delicious food, colourful kolams and oil lamps.

An age-old celebration, Deepavali is widely celebrated by Hindus, Jains, Sikhs and some Newar Buddhists. 

It is a festival that not only brings families together despite their differences, but also serves as a reminder of their quest for eternal knowledge. 

Malaysians are more than aware that on this special occasion, small clay lamps filled with oil are lit up to signify the triumph of good over evil, while creative kolams are typically displayed in homes to represent auspiciousness, divinity and an invitation to enter the house. 

However, there is still so much more about Deepavali for Malaysians to discover, from lesser-known rituals to the meaning behind the traditional saree and more. 

In their short ad, Perodua briefly explains the various rituals that take place and lesser-known facts about the celebration. 

THE ABCs OF DEEPAVALI

Perodua goes through the entire English alphabet, allotting each letter to a specific ritual, tradition, item or symbol. 

The video begins with the letter ‘A’, which stands for ‘around the world’, explaining that Deepavali is widely celebrated globally. Over 90 countries celebrate the significant occasion, including Trinidad and Tobago, whose religious group of Hindus make up 18 per cent of the country’s population. 

Next is the letter ‘B’, which stands for ‘bath’. On Deepavali day, those celebrating — irrespective of age and gender — will take an oil bath at dawn, which symbolises a new start where all self-esteem, ego, struggle and hatred are eliminated.

Meanwhile, the letter ‘C’ stands for ‘charity’ — how the act of giving on this special occasion brings light to others. 

Other lesser-known facts about the celebration include wearing jewellery on the first day for auspiciousness, how frying food in an oil pot signifies luck and prosperity, the last day being a day for the celebration of siblings and more. 

All in all, Perodua wants to remind Malaysians that Deepavali is not just a celebration for Hindus, Jains, Sikhs or Newar Buddhists, but for all. 

Perodua wishes all Malaysians a Happy Deepavali!