Dancers at the Diwali celebration earlier this month threw flower petals over themselves, an Indian tradition.
Haddonfield celebrated the Hindu holiday of Diwali with events on the first two days of the holiday, Oct. 18 and 19.
Diwali – which continued through Oct. 22 – is the festival of light. It often coincides with or precedes by one day the holiday Annakut, the Hindu new year. The two commemorations are often celebrated alongside each other.
Both days of celebration in the borough were held in Kings Court, with its gazebo and the benches surrounding it decorated with floral garlands, brightly colored signs and pillows featuring intricate patterns to go along with pumpkins and hay already there.
The gazebo in Kings Court was adorned with decorations for Diwali, including colorful garland, signs and patterned pillows.
The decorations set the stage for Diwali, with a flash mob performing Bollywood-style dances and free samples of samosas – pastries filled with vegetables or meat – and chai.
The celebrations have been a tradition in Haddonfield for four years, since Aparna Sarin moved to the borough. Missing events she would have celebrated with family in India, she began gathering friends and neighbors, teaching them Bollywood dances in her backyard.
“Dancing is always a part of every Indian tradition and culture …” Sarin explained. “This is literally all of Haddonfield’s neighbors and friends, and their neighbors and friends who, if you ask, all say yes to doing everything they can to help celebrate.”
People of all ages and cultural backgrounds joined Sarin in dancing, some wearing traditional Indian clothing such as sarees, kurtas, salwar kameez and lehengas. The garments were donated by Philadelphia-area organizations that make or collect the outfits. Dancers could borrow clothing to wear during the flash mob and other Diwali events.
Sarin emphasized that the dances aren’t difficult; the group dancers practiced for an hour over three nights.
“The steps are easy,” she noted. “As is very true for all Indian dancing, it’s meant for zero to like 115 years of age. Everyone should be able to do it. The point is, everyone dances.”
Dance participants threw handfuls of flower petals over themselves before unveiling a banner that read: “This is the part where you dance.” Audience members then joined them.
“Every year, it feels like it’s better than the year before,” Sarin observed, “but they’re all very special in their own way.”
On the second day of Diwali, a fair took place that was also in Kings Court and was born of collaboration with Downtown Haddonfield, the Haddonfield Educational Association and several local businesses. Free food was offered, including chicken tikka masala, pakoras and basmati rice.
Caroline Easow demonstrated how to authentically make chai, emphasizing how various spices and kinds of milks can be used to achieve different flavors.
“The recipe I’m doing is my mother-in-law’s recipe,” she said. “She is from South India, as is my husband, and I’ve never tasted it in the U.S., even at an Indian restaurant. So it’s a very special home recipe … Everybody’s super interested in how it’s made.”
Caroline Easow used a pot and a pitcher to demonstrate how to aerate chai to enhance its flavor during the Diwali event.
Crafts and activities included a large “Happy Diwali” banner that was laid across one of the tables and featured symbols associated with the holiday that guests could color. Representatives from the Markheim Arts Center traced participants’ hands on paper to create Henna designs.
Jennifer Coelho staffed one of the center’s tables.
“This is just a lovely celebration of culture, and Markheim is very happy to be a part of it,” she said. “The celebration of light is universal, and it’s a beautiful community event for everybody to participate in.”
