When temples in New Jersey shut down due to the rising number of coronavirus cases, Kayla Patel ’21 had to come up with a different way to celebrate Diwali. Current senior Patel couldn’t attend her temple, as she normally did for the holiday. Since she was unable to attend services, she and her family came up with a different plan.

Every year Hindus, Sikhs, Jains and some Buddhists around the world gather together and celebrate the festival of lights. There is dancing, prayer, celebration, and an endless amount of food. The temples are filled to the brim with people of all ages coming together as one to enjoy the five days of Diwali. 

Patel told WordsWorth that a normal Diwali for her family is spent going to temple and watching people cook delicious food, all while engaging in prayer together. She said she typically sees hundreds of people, and they all enjoy the day together. 

But this year, Patel, along with the rest of her family, adapted to pandemic safety guidelines and stayed at home.

“My grandparents came over, and we all had dinner together and prayed,” said Patel. 

Her grandmother cooked for the family, which is the key ingredient for Patel’s family when it comes to celebrating Diwali. Patel remarked, “We got dressed up and ready like we were going out!”  

Patel said she was lucky, considering her grandparents live close by, and she has been able to continuously see them throughout the pandemic. Others who were less fortunate had to celebrate at home, calling relatives and celebrating over the phone.  

Not all, though, is gone from the holiday. Patel mentioned that there were several moments she experienced this year that she wouldn’t have experienced otherwise. Patel explained that on a normal Diwali she gets several calls from family members, but this year she says she received almost double the normal number of calls and Zoom meeting invites from relatives all across the globe. Patel had family in London and India calling in to spend some family time while everyone remains at home. She said, “It brought us closer to our family across the globe.”

Additionally, in previous years, Patel would celebrate at temple with her whole community and found it rare to spend time with her immediate family. This year she got ready with her family and stayed in for the holiday, allowing the whole family to come together to worship and celebrate. This created the family time for Patel that wasn’t there in previous years. 

Patel also talked about how Moorestown Friends School is doing with recognizing holidays that may not be as represented as others.

Patel explained that in previous years, Diwali hasn’t even been on the school’s calendar and has even fallen on Hallway Night of Spirit Week. Patel remarked that when she was younger, she would do similar presentations, like the one she did in diversity,  to her Lower School classes. She says that she got the feeling that the message wasn’t getting to everyone. 

She took it upon herself this year to speak to Nia Hipps ’22 and Janiah McRae ’22, the two Diversity Committee clerks, about presenting during Diversity Committee. She got approval to do a presentation and helped the holiday gain recognition in the community. 

“I even had people come up to me and wish me a Happy Diwali throughout the day!” said Patel.