7 Childhood Diwali Memories That Will Make You Instantly Nostalgic

As the festival of lights inches closer, you’re heart beats faster and you can just smell the festivities in the air. When I think about my childhood Diwali memories, it starts with candle-making and card-making competitions in school and then slowly inches towards preparing a hoard of delicious sweets and snacks with my mother. Diwali is one time of the year when the streets light up with diyas, homes brighten up with happiness, and hearts ring with hope. So folks, let’s take you down the good ol’ road of nostalgia. Here are 7 childhood Diwali memories that will instantly make you nostalgic.

1. Reluctantly Helping Parents With Diwali House Cleaning

If there’s one thing all kids( Some adults too) unanimously despise, it’s got to be house cleaning. And Diwali housecleaning is on another league altogether. Days before Diwali, our parents would be behind us to help them with dusting, grooming and mopping. The house gets tidied up squeaky clean, especially for the guests who’d hop in to celebrate. And as we kids would sulk and do the chores, our parents would even bribe us with sweet treats for a job well done.

2. Assisting Mom To Prepare Sweets & Snacks

One of the most delicious childhood Diwali memories has got to be helping our mothers and even grandmothers prepare sweets and snacks, a few days in advance. From crispy murruku, and spicy samosas, to decadent gulab jamun, kheer, besan laddoos and barfis the list went on and on. Right from shopping for the ingredients, to helping our mothers stir the mixture and even shape the laddoos with our tiny fingers, it’s truly a Diwali delight. As we prepared the sweets, we’d often pester our moms to try them out, only to be reprimanded that we must first offer it as prasad to God, only then can we lay our fingers on them. What can we say, Diwali mithai has an out-of-this-world taste.

3. Diwali Shopping With Family

Visiting malls, bazaars and gift shops for Diwali shopping is a mandatory family activity. And you can imagine buying hoards of dry fruit boxes to gift to friends and family. Watching your mother bargain like a pro, your dad helping her hold shopping bags, and you running around your parents for crackers. Diwali shopping would encompass, buying new ethnic clothes, gifts, diyas for the home and of course dry fruit dabbas for others.

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4. Decorating Homes With Diyas & Mandatory Rangoli

If there’s one thing super exciting about Diwali, it would definitely have to be helping our parents decorate our homes for Diwali. Bringing out old boxes with old diyas, dusting them up and lighting them around the house, would just be spectacular. You would also decorate your home with a mandatory peacock or diya rangoli patterns. Lighting your home with sparkling diyas, putting out new cutlery and bringing in the festive season in style, you know Diwali is on its way.

5. Meeting Friends & Family For Cracker Bursting Sessions

The sounds of firecrackers, laughing children, smoke and lights would fill the air after sunset during Diwali. As the whole building gathers together for a fireworks session, you know it’s Diwali when people light a cracker, close their eyes and ears and run in the opposite direction. You know it’s Diwali when your neighbourhood aunties warned you to be careful because you wore a synthetic dress while bursting crackers. And you definitely know it’s Diwali when you pose with your group of friends holding phuljhadis. And of course, a group of kids would always debate whether bombs should be banned or not. Moreover, jumping with joy while bursting rockets, chakras and flower pots is truly Diwali dhamaka.

6. Gorging On Sweets, Snacks & Overeating At Diwali Parties

Diwali is the time for not just eating, but overeating! Infact we’d love to visit Diwali parties with our parents as we look forward to trying out delicious homemade snacks and sweets prepared by our family friends. As children, we’d socialise with other kids and sit in a room, chit-chatting about school, films and hobbies, as we stuffed our faces with goodies. And our parents would be busy interacting with their friends. Gorging on kaju katli, boondi laddoo, kachoris and whatnot, as we chilled with our friends, during these parties would be out of the world.

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7. Diwali Withdrawal Symptoms & Waiting For Next Year Already

Finally, after all that overeating, we’d pass out on the sofa, already planning on the crackers and the things we’d do for the next Diwali. We’d probably keep some leftover crackers for New Year and plan to finish the remaining sweets over the next few days. While the Diwali withdrawal symptoms slowly kick in, reliving those moments with our family by sitting on the couch and talking about our celebrations is just priceless. With our bellies full and hearts fuller, Diwali brought lots of cheer and happiness and made our childhood memories a special one.

Wish you folks a very Happy Diwali! Hope we took you on a walk down a happy childhood Diwali memory lane. This Diwali, stay safe, mask up and have a wonderful time!

Cover Image Courtesy: Internal