The festival of lights is making everything brighter and shinier. The homes are twinkling, the markets are coloured with garlands and torans, and there is a sweet note to every ring of the bell. The joy of Diwali is celebrating together with your loved ones – a warm hug from an old neighbour, a game of cards with your best friends, an evening of decorating the house with your family. Some things never change, like these Diwali traditions.
Yet, Diwali also marks the change in season and celebrates fresh beginnings. Every year, we say goodbye to old things and make space for the new – whether it is decluttering our closet spaces or letting go of the negative thoughts. This year for a happier Diwali, we are widening the compass of our celebrations and embracing more – people around us, the environment, and the species who complete the life circle.
So like us, if you have also promised yourself to celebrate in a greener, cleaner and healthier way, then read ahead and have a #POPxoWaliDiwali.
1. Donate Old Clothes And Books
Realised that there are many things you don’t need anymore? Recycle them. Donate your old clothes to an orphanage or an old age home. Pick out the woolens which will help them through this winter. You can also give away your books to a library or an NGO.
2. Use Earthen Diyas
Turn off the electric lights and reduce the load. There are more sustainable ways to light up your house. Line up your balcony with earthen diyas and candles that you can light with your friends and family. Inside the house, you can use scented candles and add a sweet aroma to the festival.
POPxo Shop recently introduced their very own scented candles! Pick up a combo of four candles here.
3. Use Natural Colours For Rangoli
Stepping up the eco-conscious Diwali, discard the chemical colours for rangoli and opt for natural ones. You can even add colours to your designs using flowers and household spices such as haldi and rice.
Also Read About hairstyles for diwali
4. Decorate With Flowers
If you’re decorating your house this festive season, you can turn it into a family activity. Rather than buying plastic decorations from the market, bring home marigolds and string them together. Your house will be dressed up for all the visitors, and also, your home will have a sweet floral fragrance.
5. Say No To Crackers
Remember the day after Diwali last year, when we couldn’t breathe because of the carcinogenic fumes? Let’s not make the same mistake again. Firecrackers hurt the environment in innumerable ways. The air quality gets toxic because of the fumes, aggravating lung-related illnesses. The streets get littered with waste. Plus, the noise is traumatising for animals. There are really no benefits here, so it’s time to put a full stop to this harmful way of celebrating Diwali.
6. Pick Meaningful Gifts
Gifting is an indispensable part of the festival, but it’s time to be more practical with gifts. Personalise your gifts (rather than giving away a box of sweets to everyone) and think of what they need. An air purifier, an indoor plant or a box of healthy snacks make useful gifts in this season. If you can’t think of anything, go with a hug and give diwali wishes
7. Keep Pets Away From Crackers
The blast of noise from crackers is harmful to animals. If you have pets or if there are street dogs or cats in your vicinity, keep them in a safe place. They will find it difficult to cope with the noise too, so discourage crackers in your neighbourhood.
8. No Gift Wraps
Found the perfect gift? Skip the plastic gift wrap and use a pretty handmade paper instead. You can also buy a decorative paper bag and present it unwrapped.
9. Depend On Public Transport
The traffic around this time is out of control. Everyone’s out to meet relatives and friends to wish them, so the roads are choking all through the day. Think of Mother Earth before taking your car out – you can just as easily take the metro.
10. Keep The Volume Down
Hosting your friends for a cards’ party? Play the music on low and don’t add to the noise pollution.
11. Minimise Waste
During the festive season, we tend to buy more than what we require. There are so many offers everywhere that sometimes we lose the sense of our needs. So this year, don’t shop too much. If you do have more boxes of sweets and edibles than you can’t possibly consume, donate it to an organisation (like The Robin Hood Army) and spread the love.
MUST READ:
How To Celebrate Krishna Janmashtami
This Diwali, surprise your friends and family with the *sweetest* gifts! Check out POPxo Shop’s new Diwali range of scented candles, flavoured dry fruits and roasted makhanas. Use coupon code POPXOFIRST to get 25% off. Online shopping for women never looked better!
