Diwali · Worksheet 1
A Row of Lamps on the Darkest Night
Read the story. 英文を読もう。
1On one very dark night in autumn, millions of tiny lamps light up India. This is Diwali, the festival of lights. The name comes from an old word, Deepavali. It means a row of lamps. People in many other countries celebrate it too.
2Diwali usually comes in October or November, on a night with no moon. The festival lasts five days, and Hindus, Jains, and Sikhs all celebrate it. Before it starts, families clean their homes from top to bottom. They buy new clothes and make sweets for friends and neighbors.
3There are many stories behind Diwali. In the north of India, people remember Prince Rama. He came home after 14 years away and a long fight with an evil king. The night was dark, so people lit lamps to show him the way. In the south, many people remember how the god Krishna beat a demon.
4On the main night, families pray to Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and good luck. They put small clay lamps called diyas by their doors and windows. People believe the goddess visits bright and clean homes. In front of the door, they make rangoli, big colorful pictures of colored powder, rice, or flowers.
5Diwali is also a time for sharing. People visit each other and give boxes of sweets. Many families enjoy fireworks, but some cities now limit them because of air pollution. In 2025, people in Ayodhya, Rama's home city, lit more than 2.6 million lamps in one night. It was a new world record for the festival of lights.
- festival 祭り
- lamp ランプ、灯り
- row 列
- clay 粘土
- goddess 女神
- wealth 富、財産
- demon 悪魔、鬼
- evil 悪い、邪悪な
- pray 祈る
- neighbor 近所の人
- pollution 汚染
- record 記録