Why First Diwali After Marriage Is Always Special?

The first year of marriage is a celebration itself and to add to it, the quintessential festival of Diwali brings more love, more care and of course more presents. There are lights, hopes, jitters, love and a lot of expectations from the newly-weds. Celebrating festivals with your new family adds to this life-long celebration, we call marriage.

You will always cherish the memories of your first Diwali celebrated with your life partner. People of different culture celebrate this festival in different ways. To make your first Diwali with your in-laws more special, efforts need to be put in by the husband as well as the wife. Whether you are in South India or North India, the festival holds the same importance; however, the way of celebration may change. To make it more special for all you newly-weds, we have jotted down some of the interesting customs performed by North and South Indian household so that you celebrate this Diwali in a fun-filled yet traditional way.

First Diwali Experience In South India
The first Diwali for the newlyweds or Thalai Diwali in the south is celebrated in a grand and lavish style. According to the customs, the newly-weds need to wake up around 4:00 am in the morning and undertake an oil bath. The next step is the dressing up. They are dressed up in the clothes gifted by their parents. A very interesting custom is the ‘Seer’, which includes gifting presents to the husband from his in-laws. Newlyweds in south are showered with many presents like clothes, jewelry and other gifting items. Thalai Deepawali is a time of family gathering where you, as a newly-wed couple, receive blessings from the elders and love from the younger people.

First Diwali Experience In North India
North Indians love to live their life in style, and so do they celebrate their festivals. For a newlywed in North Indian household, Diwali celebration starts right after Dussehra. Shopping new clothes, cleaning the house and decorating it to welcome Goddess Lakshmi are the major pre-celebration customs. The day of Diwali is the real test for a newlywed bride. She has to put in extra efforts to impress her in-laws. The main Diwali Puja is done in the evening. For a newlywed bride, it is important to decorate the ‘puja sthal’ with flowers and diyas to welcome Maa Lakshmi. After the puja, the couple is showered with gifts and sweets by the in-laws and other family members. Bursting crackers after a sumptuous dinner cooked by the new bride marks the end of this festival.

A newly wed bride is filled with excitement, both joyful and nervous excitement; joyful because the first Diwali always hold more value and nervous because she has to impress her in-laws. Whatever it may be, the first Diwali with your husband and in-laws will always be cherished by you throughout your life.