by Paul Falardeau (Arts & Life Editor)
Email: cascade.arts@ufv.ca
It’s a rainy Friday night in Abbotsford. In the growing city there is always the question for some, “what is there to do?” On UFV’s campus though, there is hope; a light in the dark. It’s a trail of lights, actually. They are paper bag lanterns, and they lead to U House, where a party is going on.
The party is for Diwali, and it’s really happening. The “festival of lights,” as it is called, is an ancient and important holiday to the Hindu, Sikh and Jain faiths. In the Hindu faith, Diwali celebrates the return of Rama after the demon-king was defeated. The festival is a time to reflect on the triumph of good over evil, specifically inner-light (Atman) or the underlying Reality of all things (Brahman).
The UFV incarnation of the event came complete with all sorts of celebratory measures, including: feasting on sweets and snacks, dancing, henna, painting diyas (replicas of the clay lanterns that welcomed Rama home) and more.
The festival was a huge success, with rough estimates putting about 125 people at U House that evening. Overall that means that there were almost five times more Diwali patrons than the previous year. One of the big differences between attendance this year and in previous years was inclusion of dancing for this year’s event. Everything from Bhangra to Bollywood was on display by some of the Valley’s finest purveyors of the art. Afterwards the whole crowd joined in, but not before a king and queen of Diwali were crowned.
Both SAPNA, the “South Asian Peer Network Association,” and UFV Student Life were responsible for making the event successful. Sidra Ahmed from SAPNA painted henna tattoos on hands and arms, and, outside, Martin Kelly from Student Life made the best out of lighting lanterns in the rain.
Kelly, who was naturally excited at the size of the turnout, was also encouraged by the fact that he saw faces of all colours in the crowd. Seeing non South Asian faces is the best sign that things are happening. There is already talk of upsizing venues for next year.
Success may come from multi-ethnic interest, but Diwali is also surely such a draw because it is so much fun, a reminder of family holidays that we all celebrate, no matter where we are from.
Stay tuned for more great events on campus, such as the community dinner that goes down every Thursday at U House. UFV is quickly becoming a place to be to have some fun, not just to get a degree.
