The Indo-Fijian community makes up about 37% of Fiji's population. Their ancestors arrived in Fiji between 1879 and 1916 to work on sugar plantations. They brought with them their languages, religions, music, food and festivals. Diwali is a celebration that has been kept alive across many generations and many thousands of kilometres from India.
On Diwali, families clean and decorate their homes, light rows of small clay lamps called 'diyas', and draw colourful patterns on the ground called 'rangoli'. Children help place the diyas around the house, on windowsills, on walls and in gardens. The idea is to welcome light and let it guide away darkness.
Sweets are central to Diwali. Families make or buy barfi (a fudge-like sweet), ladoo (round sweet balls), halwa and many other treats. Plates of sweets are shared with neighbours - both Indo-Fijian and Indigenous Fijian. In Fiji, Diwali is a national public holiday celebrated widely across all communities.
Diwali fireworks light up the sky over Fijian cities and towns. In communities with both Indigenous Fijian and Indo-Fijian families living side by side, Diwali is often a time of sharing - neighbours visiting each other, swapping sweets, watching fireworks together. Fiji's many cultures have found many ways to celebrate each other.