Diwali :: Deepawali :: The Festival Of Lights A creative way to decorate your classroom for Diwali, the festival of lights. Your kiddos will love creating and putting on their own personal touches on these beautiful Diwali Lanterns. These units are designed in a Mix & Match format. You are able to pick the pieces that you want, depending on the needs and the abilities of your students. There are so many different possibilities. Over the centuries, Diwali has become a national festival that is enjoyed by most Indians regardless of faith: Hindus, Jains, Buddhists, and Sikhs. Diwali, or Deepawali, is India's biggest and most important holiday of the year. The festival gets its name from the row (avali) of clay lamps (deepa) that are lit outside homes to symbolize the inner light that protects from spiritual darkness. This festival is as important to Hindus as the Christmas holiday is to Christians Diwali is an official holiday in Fiji, Guyana, India, Malaysia, Mauritius, Myanmar, Nepal, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, and recently Sindh Province in Pakistan.