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Diwali (or Deepavali, the "festival of lights") is an ancient Hindu festival celebrated in autumn (northern hemisphere) or spring (southern hemisphere) every year.〔The New Oxford Dictionary of English (1998) ISBN 0-19-861263-X – p.540 "Diwali /dɪwɑːli/ (also Divali) noun a Hindu festival with lights...".〕〔(Diwali ) Encyclopedia Britannica (2009)〕 Diwali is one of the largest and brightest festivals in India. The festival spiritually signifies the victory of light over darkness, knowledge over ignorance, good over evil, and hope over despair.〔〔Jean Mead, How and why Do Hindus Celebrate Divali?, ISBN 978-0-237-534-127〕 Its celebration includes millions of lights shining on housetops, outside doors and windows, around temples and other buildings in the communities and countries where it is observed.〔Frank Salamone (2004), Encyclopedia of Religious Rites, Rituals and Festivals, ISBN 978-0415880916, Routledge, pp 112–113, 174, 252〕 The festival preparations and rituals typically extend over a five-day period, but the main festival night of Diwali coincides with the darkest, new moon night of the Hindu Lunisolar month Kartika. In the Gregorian calendar, Diwali night falls between mid-October and mid-November. Before Diwali night, people clean, renovate, and decorate their homes and offices. On Diwali night, Hindus dress up in new clothes or their best outfit, light up ''diyas'' (lamps and candles) inside and outside their home, participate in family ''puja'' (prayers) typically to Lakshmi – the goddess of wealth and prosperity. After ''puja'', fireworks follow, then a family feast including ''mithai'' (sweets), and an exchange of gifts between family members and close friends. Deepavali also marks a major shopping period in nations where it is celebrated.〔(India Journal: ‘Tis the Season to be Shopping ) Devita Saraf, The Wall Street Journal (August 2010)〕 Diwali is an important festival for Hindus. The name of festive days as well as the rituals of Diwali vary significantly among Hindus, based on the region of India. In many parts of India,〔Karen Bellenir (1997), Religious Holidays and Calendars: An Encyclopedic Handbook, 2nd Edition, ISBN 978-0780802582, Omnigraphics〕 the festivities start with Dhanteras (in Northern and Western part of India), followed by Naraka Chaturdasi on second day, Deepavali on the third day, ''Diwali Padva'' dedicated to wife–husband relationship on the fourth day, and festivities end with Bhau-beej dedicated to sister–brother bond on the fifth day. Dhanteras usually falls eighteen days after Dussehra. On the same night that Hindus celebrate Diwali, Jains celebrate a festival of lights to mark the attainment of ''moksha'' by Mahavira, Sikhs celebrate Bandi Chhor Divas and some Buddhists also celebrate Diwali remembering Ashoka's conversion to Buddhism.〔 Diwali is an official holiday in Nepal, India,〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=Indian Government Holiday Calendar )〕 Sri Lanka, Mauritius, Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, Suriname, Malaysia, Singapore and Fiji. ==Etymology== Diwali ()〔 is derived from the Sanskrit ''dīpāvali'' "series of lights".,〔Lochtefeld, James G. "Diwali" in ''The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Hinduism'', Vol. 1: A–M, pp. 200–201. Rosen Publishing. ISBN 9780823931798.〕 formed from ''dīpa'' "light, lamp"〔"" in the ''Sanskrit-English Dictionary''. Spoken Sanskrit (Germany), 2009.〕 and ''āvali'' "series, line, row".〔"(आवली )" in the ''Sanskrit-English Dictionary''. Spoken Sanskrit (Germany), 2009.〕 Diwali is also known as दीपोत्सव ''dīpotsava'' "festival of lights". The holiday is known as ''dīpavaḷi'' in (カンナダ語:ದೀಪಾವಳಿ), (マラヤーラム語:ദീപാവലി), and (テルグ語:దీపావళి), ''dipawoli'' in (アッサム語:দীপাৱলী), ''dipaboli'' or ''dipali'' in (ベンガル語:দীপাবলি/দীপালি), ''dipābali'' in (オリヤー語:ଦିପାବଲି), ''divālī'' in (ヒンディー語:दिवाली), ''dīvālī'' in (パンジャーブ語:ਦੀਵਾਲੀ), ''divāḷi'' in (グジャラート語:દિવાળી), (マラーティー語:दिवाळी), and , ''diyārī'' in (シンド語:दियारी), ''tīpāvaḷi'' in (タミル語:தீபாவளி), and ''tihar'' in (ネパール語:तिहार). 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Diwali」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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