Buddhists, Sikhs, Jains, and ... and ... and ... ?
This is so weird. It's like saying, "we've gathered for Christmas, a holiday observed by Jews, Buddhists, Muslims, and Hindus throughout the world ... "
Also, Diwali began on November 7. And it lasts for five days.
This is so weird. It's like saying, "we've gathered for Christmas, a holiday observed by Jews, Buddhists, Muslims, and Hindus throughout the world ... "
Also, Diwali began on November 7. And it lasts for five days.
But Hinduism is super-syncretic, so I guess we just celebrated "American Diwali," wherein Hinduism is (now) traditionally not named, out of respect; Buddhists join in, we celebrate it at random, and that's fine: You'd hardly expect us to master the Hindu lunisolar calendar.
It's usually not so much about the new year as it is about local Diwali traditions, anyway. So in Northern India they honor the return from exile of Lord Rama, King of Ayodhya (the seventh avatar of Vishnu) and his victory over the Demon Ravan;
it's also the custom to worship Lakshmi and Ganesha. Trump would be *so into* worshipping Lakshmi if someone explained who she was to him, so what a missed opportunity! (I'm guessing from the context they told him it was "Indian Chanukah.")
In the south of India, it's the day Krishna overcame and destroyed the demon king Narakasura: a symbolic victory of knowledge and good over ignorance and evil. But in American Diwali, hundreds of millions of people gather with family and friends to light the Diya,
and as we have always done, we observe the five traditions to achieve Lakshmi's grace: gyanabigyana.com/2018/11/what-t… And that's totally fine.
American Diwali takes place whenever we figure Lord Vishnu's sleeping, more or less. ...
American Diwali takes place whenever we figure Lord Vishnu's sleeping, more or less. ...
And we don't mark the death of demons like Narkasur, which no one could even pronounce. Instead, we mark our triumph over migrant caravans. (Trump seems to have forgotten that now that the midterms are over, but that's a super-important part of our new Diwali tradition.)
As Trump fully appreciates, I'm sure, you have to kill demons to be prosperous. That's why we always worship Lakshmi at the same time, except we call her the "Strong US Dollar."
However, to please the goddess, we need to find her a companion, and since Lord Vishnu is asleep,
However, to please the goddess, we need to find her a companion, and since Lord Vishnu is asleep,
We worship Lord Ganesha, Goddess Lakshmi's adopted son. Except that in our our tradition, we call him Trumpy Bear. The 9th Avatar.
Oh, and my Patreon counsellor told me to mention patreon.com/claireberlinski all the time.
I've been trying, but my editors keep striking out paragraphs like the ones below (I tried to slip this into my acting diary, but I guess my editor actually reads it).
I've been trying, but my editors keep striking out paragraphs like the ones below (I tried to slip this into my acting diary, but I guess my editor actually reads it).
Happy American Diwali!
(And Lakshmi, I could use a hand over here.)
(And Lakshmi, I could use a hand over here.)
