Diwali is a Hindu festival of lights celebrated across South Asia. CBS News' Shanelle Kaul explains what's behind the annual festivities.

Diwali, known as the Festival of Lights, is a major celebration for millions of Hindus, Jains, Sikhs, and Buddhists around the world. The festival represents the victory of good over evil and light over darkness, and also marks the start of a new fiscal year in India. 

Celebrations typically involve cleaning homes, praying for prosperity, lighting clay lamps called diyas, setting off fireworks, and sharing sweets with family. The holiday has grown in prominence internationally, with official recognition in several U.S. states and celebrations in places like the White House and Times Square. Beyond the festivities, Diwali is seen as a time for renewal, introspection, and giving back.

What is Diwali?

Millions of South Asians around the world are celebrating Diwali this week. The Festival of Lights has even become a holiday here in the United States. So let's talk to my buddy CBS News correspondent, Chanel Call, who's here to talk about that wonderful celebration. I'm looking in the wrong monitor here. My goodness, it's messing it up. I need the light, right? Shubh Diwali, my friend, Shubh Diwali. Shubh Diwali to you as well. This is such a huge, lovely holiday and tradition in the South Asian community. I grew up celebrating Diwali every single year in Toronto. It's celebrated by millions of Hindus, Jains, Sikhs, and Buddhists here in the U.S. and around the world, Reid. You probably know Diwali as the Festival of Lights, but I wanna share a little bit more about what this really means. So Diwali symbolizes the triumph of good over evil, of light over darkness, but it also marks the start of a new fiscal year in India. So here's what we do. Typically, you clean your homes, you pray for prosperity and good fortune, and if you're wondering how we celebrate, well, it's kind of sensory overload. We have some sweets with our family. You light fireworks, as you see there. You decorate your home with these little diyas, those diyas there. So they're basically small little clay lamps or candles, and then you hang flower garlands in your home. Here's more from my conversation with Anu Sehgal, who's the founder of CultureTreat earlier today. So I think the key thing that I personally want to communicate to people is, beyond the materialistic aspects that exist around Diwali and around these celebrations, because they can get very opulent, the deeper meaning is about renewal, finding the light within, and just giving back. So those three things are so important to what the real meaning of Diwali is, and the essence of Diwali. And it's interesting, Reid, when I was speaking with Anu earlier today, we were talking about some of the parallels between a holiday like Diwali and a holiday like Christmas. You know, the central focus is food, it's family, and also during Diwali, it is tradition to exchange gifts. It's actually become so big here in the U.S. It's been celebrated, as you know, Reid, in the White House, in Times Square. It's even an official holiday in California, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania. But really for me, and for a lot of folks that celebrate this day, it's about food, it's about family, and also importantly, about fashion. Aha, exactly. Some beautiful silks to you, and may you have an auspicious, wonderful Diwali celebration. And so many around the world, we also honor it as well in our home. Chanel Call, always great to talk to a bright light, such as yourself.

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