On Wednesday, November 13, the Indian Culture Club celebrated the Diwali holiday with the Tiger Tots through a diya, or oil lamp, painting activity.
Diwali is one of India’s major festivals, known for its sparkling lights, celebrating the triumph of good over evil, and light over dark. This observance comes from mythological stories of the return of Lord Rama to Ayodhya after defeating the demon king Ravana. Many commonly celebrate by lighting diyas, decorating homes, sharing good food, and gifting presents. At night, families come together with friends to light firecrackers and sparklers along the streets. For the Tiger Tots, the club members decided to teach them how to make diyas by decorating them with paint and gems.
“This was our first year celebrating Diwali with the Tiger Tots!” Co-President Kavya Chettur (’25) said. “We wanted to celebrate with them to share our traditions. Painting with different colors and adding gems to the diyas was a cool way to show the beauty of our culture.” Diwali is commonly known as the festival of lights and diyas are lit to represent inviting positivity and prosperity into life. It is a time for families and communities to come together, share sweets, and exchange gifts.
The Indian Culture Club is just one of the many culture clubs offered by the high school; Korean, Chinese, Israeli, French, German, and Italian are just some of the other cultures represented at Tenafly. Through these clubs, students have the opportunity to share their traditions and cherished holidays with the school community while deeply exploring their own cultural identities.
“We were able to talk about the significance of the diyas to the Tiger Tots,” Co-Vice President Anisha Gupta (’25) said. “They were really eager to learn about how it was used and what it was used for.” Diyas are traditionally used to provide light, acting as candles for ceremonies and celebrations. The Tiger Tots each got to bring home their very own unique diya to represent what they learned that day.
Through this club, students are able to build tight-knit communities and relationships with one another, fostering a welcoming environment to share traditions that they hold close to their hearts. “In the past, our club has contributed to the Asian Coffeehouse, participated in Lunar New Year celebrations/performances, and hosted bake sales,” Kavya added.
Overall, the club reflected on how this event went smoothly. The tots were so excited to show off their creations, and were able to learn some new cultural traditions along with it. Many club members reflected on how this event brought back childhood memories of making their own diyas with their families, making this school celebration one that will continue to shine for both the high school students and Tiger Tots for years to come.
