Priyanka Chopra Jonas Shares Flower Friendly Diwali Traditions

By Jill Brooke

Like Priyanka Chopra Jonas introduced her pals and hubby musician Nick Jonas to Diwali, a five-day religious celebration which symbolizes the spiritual “victory of light over darkness and knowledge over ignorance,” I love learning about the festival of lights, which is celebrated Monday, October 24th  by members of Hindu, Sikh, Jain, and some Buddhist communities.

As is the tradition, people decorate every corner of their homes with lights, lamps filled with an oil called diyas, flowers and candles. They also create rangoli, consisting of elaborate designs made of colored rice, sand, or flower petals. The festival is widely associated with Lakshmi, the goddess of prosperity, with many other regional traditions connecting the holiday to other mythological figures including Krishna, Vishvakarman and the goddess Mahalakshmi.

The Jonas family had a big Diwali party at their home in California last year with guests including Chrissy Teigen and John Legend,

“With the blessings of Goddess Mahalakshmi, we invite her grace and abundance into our home,” Chopra captioned her Instagram post.  “Happy Diwali.”

As Chopra Jonas said, “ “To everyone who honored my culture by not only dressing the part but dancing the night away, you made me feel like I was back home.”  “My beautiful wife has introduced me to so many wonderful Indian holidays and traditions. My heart is so full to be able to share this with our friends and family,” Nick Jonas added.

Actor Mindy Kaling hosted a Diwali dinner party in collaboration with media company Phenomenal and beauty brand Live Tinted to highlight the voices of South Asian women in the media and entertainment industries, according to a press release. Chopra also attended that party and is such a lovely ambassador for Indian culture.

And that’s why sharing cultural traditions can be so fun – even if it’s not your culture, you can appreciate the festivities. And for me, any opportunity to have or go to a party makes me happy. Have you been to a Diwali party?

Jill Brooke is a former CNN correspondent, Post columnist and editor-in-chief of Avenue and Travel Savvy magazine. She is an author and the editorial director of FPD and floral editor for aspire design and home magazine and contributor to Florists Review magazine. 

 

Photo Credit: Instagram