Rutland school students embrace Diwali

Who says going to school on a Monday isn’t fun?

It was sarees, song and samosas at Rutland Senior Secondary as students enjoyed a special celebration for Diwali.

Diwali, also known as the Festival of Lights, is typically a five-day celebration among mainly Hindus, Jains and Sikhs, and in essence, is the spiritual victory of light over darkness and good over evil.

A number of tables were laid out in the RSS forum, for the selling of samosas, a colouring station, henna painting, diva lamp making, and an area where fellow students could try on a Bindi (a small dot or sticker on the forehead) and traditional veils.

“We have a large population of Indian students at the school,” teacher Harmeet Pakkar told Kelowna10. “I think it’s important to them to express that part of themselves. Also, Diwali is just an overarching cross-cultural celebration that’s all about positivity and bringing light and happiness to everyone.”

Grade 12 student Mahik Toora was dressed for the occasion and was delighted to share the sentiment of strong, inner light with the rest of her classmates.

“I think everyone is really interested in Diwali. It’s a very colorful event and a great chance for everyone to be included,” she explained.

Prabhjot Gill, a grade 10 student, was offering samosas for the occasion.

“It’s just such a joyous day to celebrate,” he said. “It feels amazing to educate people about what Diwali is and I feel like they learn a bit more and gives them a better understanding of why we celebrate it.”