Časoris is an online newspaper aimed at children. Each week we’ll take an article and post it here as a Slovene-English dual text.
Divali, praznik svetlobe
Divali, a festival of light
Written by Sonja Merljak Zdovc, translated by JL Flanner & G Translate
Dnevi postajajo vse krajši in odkar smo spet premaknili uro, se zdi, da nas večji del dneva obdaja tema.
The days are getting shorter, and since we’ve moved the clock again, most of the day seems to be in darkness.
Prav zato so v teh dneh še toliko bolj pomembni prazniki, ki slavijo svetlobo.
That's why holidays celebrating the light are all the more important these days.
Eden takih je tudi indijski praznik luči divali.
One such is the Indian festival of light Divali.
Traja pet dni in v tem času se Indijci podajo na ulice, da bi s procesijami počastili duhovno zmago svetlobe nad temo, dobrega nad zlom, znanja nad nevednostjo in upanja nad obupom.
It lasts for five days, during which time Indians take to the streets for parades to mark the spiritual victory of light over darkness, good over evil, knowledge over ignorance, and hope over despair.
Med festivalom svetlobe domačini očistijo domove ter jih okrasijo z oljenkami in svečami in se tako poklonijo boginji Lakšmi.
During the festival of light, the locals clean their homes and decorate them with lamps and candles to pay homage to the goddess Lakshmi.
V številnih mestih v tem času pripravijo razkošne ognjemete. Ti dodatno onesnažujejo že tako umazan zrak v tej državi, zato od lani namesto običajnih pirotehničnih sredstev uporabljajo taka, ki so bolj prijazna okolju.
Magnificent firework displays are put on in many cities during this time. They add pollution to the already dirty air in this country, so since last year they use environmentally friendly ones instead of the usual pyrotechnics.
Posebnost divalija je tudi rangoli: slikovite in pisane umetnine iz različnih pisanih naravnih materialov, kot so na primer cvetni listi, pesek, moka in riž.
A specialty of Divali are Rangoli: colourful artworks made of various colourful natural materials, such as petals, sand, flour and rice.
Divali, ki se je letos začel 25. in končal 29. oktobra, je eden od najbolj radoživih in priljubljenih praznikov na hindujskem koledarju. Datum njegovega začetka ni vsako leto enak. Povezan je s koncem žetve in mlado luno.
Divali, which began this year on the 25th and ended on the 29th of October, is one of the most joyous and popular holidays in the Hindu calendar. Its start date is not the same every year. It is associated with the end of the harvest and the young moon.
Kot državni praznik ga obeležujejo v mnogih državah, poleg Indije še v Maleziji, Singapurju, Nepalu in na Šrilanki.
It is celebrated as a national holiday in many countries, and other than India in Malaysia, Singapore, Nepal and Sri Lanka.
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