Deepavali is the annual Hindu celebration of the triumph of light over darkness and in Singapore, it is one of the major cultural festivals. It is when thousands of families in the Republic and across the world transform their homes into beacons of light, exchange gifts, share feasts and worship deities such as Lakshmi, the goddess of fertility and prosperity.
It is the perfect occasion to burst crackers and enjoy the festival of lights to celebrate the triumph of good over evil. But it should not be overlooked that loud crackers cause a lot of distress for elderly people, young children, strays and pets (mostly dogs), while the smoke and fumes cause environmental pollution.
Even though it is very difficult to celebrate Deepavali without crackers and usual products for home decoration, IBTimes Singapore has accumulated a few options to make this festival eco-friendly.
- Diyas and earthen lamps: Once you visit the market, instead of loud crackers you can buy eye-catching LED lights, lamps and colourful curtains as well as earthen lanterns/lamps and diyas to decorate the house in an ethnic way and celebrate an eco-friendly Deepavali.
Diya Pixabay - Use environment-friendly products for home decoration: Instead of buying readymade torans made of plastic, you can use homemade torans by using papers, old jewellery and wool. You can also use old dupattas and sarees for curtains and wall decoration.
Toran Pinterest
- Biodegradable plates and glasses: In this occasion many people come together to celebrate the auspicious day. You can arrange a Deepavali party at your own place but instead of buying plastic plates and glasses, which are dangerous to the environment, you can look for eco-friendly crockeries such as biodegradable plates and glasses.
Biodegradable plates YouTube grab - Opt for ecofriendly crackers: Avoid burning your money by buying loud crackers, as they do not serve any purpose and only pollute the environment. But if you don't want to celebrate the festival without crackers, opt for the eco-friendly ones, which are made of recycled paper and produces less noise and pollution.
Crackers Pixabay - Gift something different in this Deepavali: You cannot visit a friend's place without a gift in Deepavali and usually people look for sweets as well as other edible items, which are again packed in plastic. But to make this Deepavali a little bit different, you can gift your friends some decorative plants to set a new trend.
Pixabay - Use natural colours for rangoli: Easily available chemical rangoli colours may look appealing, but try something new to avoid harming the environment. Either use herbal colours or different coloured pulses, fresh flowers and bright yellow turmeric and red kumkum to give a new look to your rangoli.
