I am going to Thailand.

my favorite festival is diwali

Every Autumn I go to stay with my cousins in Leicester so 
we can all celebrate Diwali
together. My family are Hindus, our grandparents came to 
Britain from India. Diwali is the
biggest Hindu festival and people celebrate it all over the 
world. We come to Leicester
because it has the largest Hindu population in Britain and 
the celebrations are fantastic.
Diwali is a magical time for children because of the 
lights. We light candles and lamps called
divas in our homes, especially in the windows. All the 
streets, houses and shops are
decorated with light. Diwali comes from the Sanskrit word 
Deepavali which means ‘rows of
lights’. It is our festival of Light and starts the Hindu 
year. If we light our house well, we will
have good fortune because the Goddess of wealth and 
prosperity, Lakshmi, will see our
lights.
At Diwali we tell the legend of the Hindu god, Lord Rama. 
He had a beautiful wife called Sita
and she was captured by the demon king Ravana. Lord Rama 
fought the demon king and
rescued his wife. We celebrate Rama’s return with his wife. 
It signifies that good triumphs
over Evil. People light their lamps to celebrate the god 
Rama’s victory.
On the first day of Diwali I walk to the temple in the next 
street with all my family. We always
dress in our best clothes. My grandmother makes me a new 
Indian sari to wear for Diwali
every year. We spend a long time getting ready, putting on 
bright clothes and jewellery. Lots
of our friends come to the temple and we sing, dance and 
enjoy ourselves. My cousin plays
an Indian instrument called a harmonium at the temple. 
There are always delicious sweet
foods to eat. This starts five days of celebrations, my 
favourite five days of the year.
Back at my Uncle’s house we exchange presents and eat lots 
of good Indian food. Many
more relatives come over to celebrate with us and it is a 
very special time for families. If
anyone has had an argument it is a good time to make 
friends and forget the past. Some
people say that it is a sort of Christmas for Hindus.
In Leicester the Asian community is very proud of their 
celebrations. There are very big
crowds with music, dancing and fireworks. 6,500 Diwali 
lights are switched on in the streets
and we have a big party in the streets on Diwali day. This 
year Diwali day falls on October
26th.