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Summary of Question:	Why Do Sikhs Celebrate Diwali?
Category:	Sikh Practices
Date Posted:	Monday, 10/20/2003 5:51 AM MDT

Dear friends,

One of my best friends is a hindu and obviously celebrates diwali and the fact it is their new year. I am confused and want to know why Sikhs celebrate Diwali if by what I have read in the past on this forun that we are completly different from hindus and shouldn't be assoiciated with the religion.

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REPLY
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Sat Siri Akaal. I wondered that too, until a Sikh I know explained that Divali is a major cultural festival not unlike Christmas as it's celebrated in the USA. (IN the USA, many non-Christians celebrate Christmas, buy trees, give/get gifts, decorate, etc etc.) I guess Divali is so engrained in Indian culture, it becomes a national celebration, not merely a Hindu religious rite. It is not, as you mention, a Sikh gurpurab or part of Sikhi generally.
Guru ang sang,
-DKK