#alternate Skip to main content Real Simple [logo-rs-sol-seekers-tout.png] Join our community of Solution Seekers! * food & recipes + Recipe Collections & Favorites + Cooking Tips & Techniques + Shopping & Storing + Tools & Products + Popular Ingredients + Meal Planner * home & organizing + Organizing + Cleaning + Decorating + Home Improvement + Gardening + Green Living + New Uses for Old Things * beauty & fashion + Hair + Skincare + Makeup + Makeovers + Clothing + Clothing Care + Shoes & Accessories + Finish the Look Fashion Game * holidays & entertaining + Holidays + Entertaining + Holiday Decorating Ideas + Easy Home Entertaining + Holiday Entertaining * weddings + Wedding Planner Tool + Wedding Budget Tool + Cakes & Catering + Ceremony + Dress & Attire + Flowers + Guests + Registry & Gifts + Wedding Etiquette * health + Nutrition & Diet + Fitness & Exercise + Mind & Mood + First Aid & Health Basics + Preventative Health * family & work + Money + Family + Life Strategies + Technology + Travel + Etiquette + Entertainment + Money Management Tips * checklists + Organizing Checklists * magazine + SUBSCRIBE + GIVE A GIFT + Daily Finds + Road Tests + Newsletters + Real Simple Products + Real Simple Rewards + RS Lifestylers + Back Issues * SUBSCRIBE * VIDEO * Meal Planner * BOOK CLUB * SHOP RS PRODUCTS * RS Lifestylers Search _______________ Search Holiday Traditions and Connections * Print * Email Holiday Celebrations Around the World Robin Epstein Rituals from around the globe that you can use to add authentic spice—and meaning—to your season. India Diwali, the Festival of Lights, Hindu New Year, 13th Day of the Month of Asvina (October or November) During this five-day celebration, Hindus fill their houses and gardens nightly with clay oil lamps or candles. The lights celebrate the once banished mythic hero Rama and his wife, Sita, and welcome Lakshmi, goddess of prosperity, into their homes. Families draw rangoli, decorative patterns made in rice flour, at the entrance to their houses or in front of their household shrines. The essence: To light candles is to give thanks for the blessings of the past year and shines the way for good fortune in the next. Finland Fortune-Telling Ritual, New Year's Eve In this tradition, tin is melted, then poured into a bucket of snow or ice-cold water. When the metal hardens, it is held up to a light; the shape it casts on the wall is used to tell your fortune. (Does it look like a hill? That may mean obstacles ahead. Does it look like a coin? That may mean money.) The essence: The fortunes open a window into the New Year. Next:Poland Woman lighting candles Susie Cushner Pages * Previous * Next * Page 1 of 8 * Woman lighting candles * Christmas cards * Cookies and tea * Girl holding tray * Cocktail party * Boy eating cake * Woman in polka-dot dress log [v2d?tok=7acee1f8-c016-4325-bcc9-13870c2a9b50&dev={OPERATING_SYSTEM}:{O S_VERSION}:{DEVICE_MODEL}&v=s:f:1&sync=true&pixel=true] Daily Finds Uniqlo Women Ultra Light Down Shawl Collar Coat 6 Affordable Down Jackets Classic for good reason, the down jacket is unparalleled for warmth. Now, you can enjoy the benefits at a fraction of the cost. 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