Happy Diwali In Rehab

November 12, 2023: The Isles Nursing & Rehabilitation Center, Boynton Beach, Florida (https://ibnrc.org/)

Happy Diwali !!! In other words, Happy Hindu New Year !!!

Unfortunately, I am still living at the rehab facility, so I can't enjoy eating my usual Indian food in celebration. When I get home, I will indulge with a feast from the nearby Indian restaurant. (I am scheduled to return home on November 17, 2023.)

My religion is Gaudiya Vaishnavism, also known as Hare Krishna, which is a sect of Sanatana Dharma (Hinduism).

Diwali is the five-day Hindu "Festival of Lights," which is celebrated this year from November 10 to 14, 2023, with the third day (today) as the main day of the holiday, marking the start of the Hindu new year. Diwali, my favorite holiday, falls on a different date every year. On Diwali, businesses in India start their fiscal year.

On this day, November 12, 2023, put a candle in the window so that Lakshmi, the Hindu goddess of wealth, can find you to bestow spiritual and financial prosperity for the coming year. For safety reasons, I use an electric candle every year. Also, open your doors and windows so Lakshmi can enter your home.

Be blessed on this most austere of Hindu holidays.

Picture: The four "bowls" are "diyas," Indian lanterns. Place a little oil and a wick in the diyas and light the wick. The left-facing "swastika" is a Hindu symbol that represents prosperity and good luck. (The evil swastika is right facing.)