Diwali is one of the most important festivals that we celebrate. Needless to say that the preparations start well in advance with the cleaning and setting up the house for festivities. Sadly, Diwali is also one of the most pollution causing festivals. This year make a pact to celebrate an eco friendly Diwali. You can still have the same fun and enjoy the festivities without harming the natural resources.
Celebrating an Eco friendly Diwali
Small steps taken contribute to a major cause. When you make a decision of enjoying a clean and green Diwali, your options magically increase. I have listed 8 easy ways that can help you go green this Diwali.
1. Opt for Diya’s
A diya is a traditional way of spreading the light in Diwali. The fast paced life looked for convenience and people opted for candles and lighting instead. This year, revive the age old traditions and opt for diyas instead. You can also use a scented diya oil to combine the festivity with a bit of aromatherapy that can relax you! Use the coupon code DIWALI2014 to get a 15% off when you shop at Omved.
2. Use LED
If you feel that you must use electric illumination, then try to opt for LED lights. LED lights are known to use up to 80 per cent lesser energy in comparison to the normal electrical lighting. The LED light also come in a variety of colours as the regular counterpart.
3. Say no to crackers
It’s been two decades since I stopped using crackers and my kids do not fancy it either. Not only crackers are loud, but they also emit gases that are not good for you to inhale. Crackers are also known to cause distress to small kids and babies and animals. Did I also mention that a majority of the fire incidents can happen in this festival?
4. Use natural decorations
Rangoli’s need not be designed using harmful coloured powders. You can choose to make your own rangoli powders at home or opt to use flowers to make a rangoli. You can decorate the various corners of your home with garlands of flowers like marigold. Use long stemmed lilies and roses to set in the vase and you will also have a lovely fragrance in your home.
5. Shop Smart
You can view my earlier posts on choosing eco friendly Diwali gifts. At the end of the day, it is the gesture that matters and when you opt for eco friendly Diwali gifts you are also passing the beauty of green living. Try to complete your shopping in one or two visits, if you happen to shop at physical stores. When you shop in bulk, you are also likely to get a discount. And yes carry your own shopping bag!
6. Give away things you won’t need
Diwali is a festival when most of resort to cleaning our homes. Make a pile of the things that you want to discard and give away things that can be reused to an NGO or someone who needs it.
7. Opt for homemade sweets
Instead of buying sweets from a sweet shop, you can choose to make some absolutely yummy sweets at home. Sangeeta recently shared a wonderful recipe for the festive season on my blog. You can also opt for some easy to make sweets like besan ladoo’s, gajar ka halwa and chawal ka kheer at home.
8. Opt for community celebrations
If you live in a society, you can choose to celebrate with one or more families so that you can gather together and celebrate. Celebrating together can also help you limit the costs incurred and it is easy on the pocket as well. Arrange for music and food and you are ready to enjoy the festive night!
Diwali is also about illuminating the conscience inside you. Apart from celebrating an eco friendly Diwali, opt for things like donating for a charity or feeding the hungry. It is only when you understand the true spirit of the festival that you will actually love the festivities.
If you have a Diwali post that you want to share with my readers, feel free to link your post!
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