Festivals of India Diwali Explained: History, Meaning, Traditions and Celebrations A complete, family-friendly guide to the Festival of Lights, including its many religious stories, the five days of Diwali, regional customs, food, children's activities and two interactive games. Rows of glowing Diwali lamps around a rangoli A warm decorative illustration showing five clay lamps, golden stars and a colourful circular rangoli pattern. In this guide What Diwali means Why Diwali is celebrated History and origins The five days Traditions and symbols Interactive Diwali quiz Regional celebrations Hindu, Jain and Sikh meanings Diwali around the world Food and sweets Diwali word game Explaining Diwali ...
Indian culture • Curious customs • Food and health Why Do Indians Chew Paan and Spit Red? The Surprising Truth Behind India's Betel Leaf Tradition You're walking along a street in India when a man turns his head and spits a stream of bright red liquid onto the ground. For a moment, you wonder whether he's bleeding. He probably isn't. He may simply have been chewing paan . But what exactly is paan? Why does it turn saliva red? Why has it become such a familiar part of Indian life, and why are doctors concerned about some of the ingredients? The answers are much more interesting than the red stains on the pavement might suggest. The betel leaf is only the beginning of the story Original illustration: paan leaves, fillings and a folded paan preparation. The short answer Paan is a preparation made with a betel leaf and various fillings. Traditional betel quid commonly includes areca nut, slaked lime and sometimes ...
