Festival of Lights celebrated at Greenwood Court

Greenwood Court staff and city councillor Harjinder Nijjar pose for Diwali, festival of lights. Back: Harjinder Nijjar, Cheryl Nijjar, Laura Kindler, Michael Gervais, Dimitrios Paulidis, Shannon Golbeck Chelsea-Anne Woolridge. Front: Sherri Lemke, Mary Anne Debrouwer, Sierra Giles, Theresa Burns.

CONNOR LUCZKA, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Oct. 31 wasn’t just Halloween this year. It was also the first day of Diwali, the Indian festival of lights.

Stratford city councillor and deputy mayor Harjinder Nijjar was at Greenwood Court that day for the celebration to give residents who may not know much about the festival some context and to share what it means.

“I’m so excited to be here to celebrate with you,” Nijjar told the staff and residents that gathered in the atrium to hear more about the festival. “It originally came from India where we have all different religions. The Hindus, the Sikh, all the religions get together and they celebrate.”

Diwali symbolizes the victory of Dharma over Adharma, light over darkness. It is typically celebrated across a number of days with joyous celebration which includes fireworks, the lighting of diyas (oil lamps), and decorating homes with colourful adornments.

It also includes sweets, as Nijjar explained. Afterwards, staff member Laura Kindler went around the room giving residents Indian sweets.

This is the first Diwali celebration where recreational fireworks were allowed in Stratford. Nijjar put forward a motion, which subsequently passed at the council meeting on July 2, whereby Diwali was included in the City of Stratford’s fireworks bylaw, meaning they are now allowed on the first day of Diwali.

Before that amendment, recreational fireworks were only permitted in city limits on Victoria Day and Canada Day.