Bollywood!!🎇
The iconic 2001 family drama where Shah Rukh Khan's grand helicopter homecoming takes place during Diwali.
What is Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (K3G)?
Who is Lord Rama?
The globally famous Bollywood superstar, known as the "King of Romance," who greets thousands of screaming fans outside his mansion, Mannat, every year on Diwali night.
Who is Shah Rukh Khan?
The small, traditional clay oil lamps lit with cotton wicks to guide good fortune into the home.
What are Diya's?
True or False: Diwali is celebrated on the exact same calendar date every single year.
False. (It changes every year because it follows the Hindu lunar calendar, usually falling in October or November).
True or False: London's public transit system officially ran completely free subway lines to celebrate Diwali in 2024
False (While London hosts massive Diwali events on Trafalgar Square, it did not offer free transit fares).
True or False: The massive Golden Temple in Amritsar is traditionally completely lit up with thousands of lamps to celebrate Diwali.
True (The Golden Temple is famously illuminated with thousands of diyas)
True or False: Barack Obama was the very first United States President to personally host a Diwali celebration inside the White House?
False it was George W. Bush
Doing what symbolizes a fresh start on Diwali or the day before.
What is wearing new clothes and cleaning your house?
The physical fireworks we use today were invented in ancient India specifically to celebrate the very first Diwali in Ayodhya.
False. (Gunpowder and fireworks were actually invented in ancient China thousands of years later, though they became a huge part of modern Diwali traditions).
True or False: The 2007 Diwali blockbuster Om Shanti Om marked the official Bollywood acting debut of Deepika Padukone.
True (It was her massive Hindi debut role opposite Shah Rukh Khan).
True or False: The historic monument Taj Mahal completely shuts down and goes entirely pitch black on Diwali night out of respect for the new moon.
False (The Taj Mahal does not shut down specifically for Diwali religious reasons)
True or False: Global pop icon Katy Perry once famously celebrated Diwali in India by dressing up in a traditional saree.
True
True or False: Gold and silver coins featured in Diwali prayers are meant to physically represent the presence of Goddess Lakshmi.
True
Traditional skin-staining henna designs (Mehndi) used during Diwali are made from crushing up the bright red petals of a hibiscus flower.
False. (Henna dye is made by grinding up the green leaves of the henna plant, which then oxidizes into a reddish-brown color on the skin).
The movie where Aishwarya Rai and Shah Rukh Khan play twins, featuring a vibrant, lit-up dance sequence to "Apun Bola".
What is Josh?
True or False: British historical records show that the East India Company once strictly banned soldiers from lighting celebratory fireworks.
True (They locked down gunpowder and noisy midnight celebrations to prevent sudden signals or military chaos during times of political unrest).
The major metropolitan city whose public school system officially made Diwali a school holiday starting in 2023
What is New York City?
The colorful geometric or floral floor art hand-drawn at the entrance of homes to welcome deities and guests.
What is Rangoli?
According to ancient tradition, Goddess Lakshmi is said to have been born on Diwali night out of a giant cosmic ocean during a legendary churning event between gods and demons.
True. (This myth is known as the Churning of the Ocean, or Samudra Manthan).
The 2024 massive action-thriller that served as a modern cinematic retelling of the Ramayana, released exactly on Diwali.
What is Singham Again?
Another name for Diwali widely used in many parts of India.
What is Deepavali.
True or False: Global superstar Priyanka Chopra and her husband Nick Jonas famously throw massive, star-studded Diwali parties at their home in Los Angeles
True (They are famous for their beautiful, highly publicized annual Hollywood Diwali celebrations together).
The eco-friendly alternative to traditional fireworks developed by scientists to significantly lower air and noise pollution during celebrations.
What is green crackers
The largest rangoli pattern ever created in the world was so massive that it was drawn on the ice of a frozen lake in northern Canada using colorful snow dyes.
False. (The world record-breaking largest rangolis have all been created on flat land or stadium floors in India, using traditional powders, flower petals, or diyas.)