Diwali celebration going ahead in Wingham this Sunday
BY SCOTT STEPHENSON
Even though Thanksgiving has just concluded, Halloween is weeks away and Christmas is not but a dot on the distant horizon, Huron County holiday lovers need not wait long for another chance to get festive with their families and friends. That’s because North Huron is home to its very own Diwali celebration, which will be taking place this year at the Wingham Columbus Centre on Oct. 20. In anticipation for the annual event, The Citizen sat down with local business owner and event organizer Gurpreet Singh to hear a little bit about why Diwali is one of his favourite holidays, and what people can expect from this year’s event.
Even though each year’s celebration comes along with food and gifts, what Singh loves most about Diwali has nothing to do with material possessions. “You get a chance to see all the elder family members on this day, even if you haven’t seen a person in many years. Everybody tries to see their family.”
That doesn’t mean Singh is opposed to the gift-giving element of the festival. “As a family tradition, in India, everybody wants to buy something new for their house. Suppose they’ll buy a new T.V. on Diwali, or a new bike on Diwali... it’s always exciting to decide. ‘What are we going to get for Diwali?’”
When he was growing up in India, Diwali was always an exciting time of year for Singh. “I remember, when we were in school, we had a chance to decorate our classroom. There was a competition going on in the whole school - ‘who will decorate the best class?’ And that class would get an award, like ‘Best Class of the Year.’” Inspired by the beloved traditions of one of their favourite holidays, his class decided to go all out. “As a group, we did our best thing,” he recalled. “We tried to decorate all the walls, the school boards, everything! And everyone was well-groomed on that day, especially.” Their hard work paid off - they won!
This year’s celebration in Wingham will have traditional dancing, dhol drumming, an educational presentation of the Sikh celebration of Diwali, henna tattoos, turban-tying demonstrations, and, of course, food. “Everybody has a chance to try something new. It’s a chance to try Indian food. People want to try Indian food, and we don’t have a good Indian restaurant close to this area, Singh explained. If the food served during Diwali is anything like the food served during Wingham’s Vaisakhi earlier this year, guests are in for something truly delicious.
While different religious groups each have their own reasons for observing Diwali, Singh likes to look at it as one big celebration. “If we combine everything together, it’s one of the biggest religious events in India,” he said. Hindu Diwali marks the return of Prince Rama, who had been in exile for 14 years. “All the townspeople did celebrate that day,” Singh explained. “Since that day, Diwali started.” For Sikhs, Diwali is the celebration of the release of 52 innocent prisoners that was skillfully orchestrated by Guru Hargobind in 1619.
Singh moved to Canada 10 years ago, and since then, he has not been able to be with his family back home for Diwali, but there were always loved ones in Brampton and Kitchener with whom to celebrate. When he came to Huron County, meeting up with those friends and family members became more difficult, so it was the natural next move to start a local version of the festival that one and all are encouraged to attend. “They are family for us too, now - this town is family, so let’s celebrate with them. And we can try to share our culture.”
This year, Diwali is an even more exciting prospect for Singh than normal, because he’ll be celebrating twice - once in Wingham, and then once in India. It’s a prospect the hardworking entrepreneur is really looking forward to. “Finally, I’m going back to India and celebrating Diwali with my family!”
Gurpreet Singh is hoping the people of Huron County will come out on Oct. 20 to help make the first of his double Diwalis extra special. “I know we can go read from the internet why people celebrate Diwali, but when you become a part of the event, then you’re observing live what’s happening. It’s a great chance to learn. We’re trying our best to bring our culture to this town, so everybody can know who we are, and where we came from.”
Tickets for Diwali on Oct. 20 are available at the Circle K in Wingham, located at 243 Josephine Street, and will be on sale until Oct. 19.