Deepavali, a festival of lights, usually lasts multiple days and is celebrated between mid-October and mid-November. One of the most popular Indian festivals, it symbolises the spiritual “victory of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance.”
On 20 November, Tamil Sangam Luxembourg is hosting a CovidCheck event in Scheiss to celebrate the festival.
In the lead-up to Deepavali, celebrants will prepare by cleansing, renovating, and decorating their homes and workplaces with diyas (oil lamps) and rangolis (colourful art patterns). During the festival, people wear their finest clothes, illuminate the interior and exterior of their homes with diyas and rangolis, light fireworks, and partake in family feasts where sweets and gifts are shared.
Tamil Sangam expect up to 200 guests at the Cultural Center in Scheiss for the event, who are encouraged to dress in traditional south Indian attire. We have planned various cultural events including songs, dance performances by children and adults, various games, and a dinner with more than ten traditional South Indian dishes. The event is also open to non-members, with around a quarter of attendees expected to be non-members.
You can find more details and register for the event here.
Association member Soundappan Ramanathan said:
“Normally we celebrate these major festivals with the Tamil community in a commune hall where more than 200 people attend. We had to pause and restrict it to a virtual celebration due to Covid in 2020. We are resuming again with all the precautions mandated by the Luxembourg health ministry and the event is CovidCheck enabled.”
Tamil Sangam Luxembourg (TSL) was registered in 2018 to represent over 250 families from the state of Tamil Nadu in India who live in the Grand Duchy. It also includes some Luxembourgish members who are interested in the culture and language.
In addition to celebrating important Tamil festivals such as Pongal, Deepavali, and the Tamil new year, TSL teach children about Tamil traditions, culture, and language. It also aims to share Tamil culture with the local community in Luxembourg, thereby aiding cultural integration.
