Edison High School Celebrates Its Very Own “Festival of Lights”
Students of Edison High School take the dance floor as well as the ceiling at the Diwalit Party celebration.
November 7, 2022
On Friday, October 21, 2022, students from all grades and cultural backgrounds came together to enjoy the annual Diwalit celebration, a night of celebration and rich culture hosted by EHS’s South-Asian Culture Club. The event took place in the cafeteria, and since it is the festival of lights, vibrant decorations were abound. Samosas, an Indian staple, were served alongside cookies and brownies. Diwali, the Hindu holiday that the event revolves around, marks the beginning of the Hindu new year and is traditionally celebrated with fireworks, ethnic clothes, and delicious food.
Multicolored lights and colorful flowers adorned Edison High School’s cafeteria, a representation of the triumph of light over darkness that the festival celebrates. A mixture of Bollywood and English classics like “Dilli Wali Girlfriend”, “Desi Girl,” and “First Class” were crowd favorites.
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A J.P. Stevens student attends Edison High School’s Diwalit Party to celebrate with friends and other EHS students.
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A group of seniors gather together to take their last group photo celebrating Diwali.
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Owen Villafranca ‘23 and Jeremy Hur ‘23 dressed in Kurta a traditional clothing to celebrate Diwali with friends.
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“I loved Diwalit this year so much! Considering my friends were on the [Peacock Society] board, I enjoyed it more knowing how much work they put into it. I had so much fun with all my friends bonding over our brown-ness,” said Shrinidhi Ramachandran ‘23.
As the event started at 6:30 p.m., students started entering the cafeteria, many in Indian clothes. Many girls were wearing Lehengas, cropped blouses, and long skirts. Many boys were wearing Kurtas, a type of long shirt, and pants. The event gave Edison High School students an opportunity to relax with their friends after school and celebrate this cultural festival together.
This year, the cultural celebration had a large variety of music selections such as Bollywood music, South Indian music, and Punjabi Music.
Ramachandran echoed this, stating, “The best part would have to be the fact that I got to spend time with my friends. I loved the fact that they played South Indian music so I was fully energized for that.”
Not only a fun social event, Diwalit is one of the representations of the cultural diversity in Edison High. It is a way for people to learn about Hindu culture and enjoy it for a night.
“Honestly it’s an amazing party with a great message,” said Ridhi Gera ‘23, Peacock Society Co-President. “Diwalit is one of the biggest events of the year and everyone deserves the chance to be a part of it.”
