India is a country of diverse culture, and festivals are considered the soul of culture here. From Diwali to Durga Ashtami to Ganesh Chaturthi, all the festivals are celebrated with love, energy, respect, joy and gaiety. There are countless ways like burning crackers, disposing of non biodegradable in the name of rituals and many more used on these occasions to express excitement and joy.
Diwali is also one such festival where crackers and sweets are an important part of the day. But these are the things that also harm the environment and health of an individual, so, we need to find healthier ways to celebrate the occasion.
Why Do We Need To Go Green And Clean
Despite knowing the looming effects of global warming and climate change, none of us seems to be concerned about it. We rather add on to it than being responsible and taking measures. A survey says that the air pollution rises 5 times during Diwali every year and its side effects can be seen for months.
Festivals are beautiful, but maybe it’s high time that we first start respecting mother earth by going green as much as we can.
Diwali is just around the corner which is why we have made a list of a few tips that you can follow to celebrate Diwali holiday in a cleaner, greener and safer way.
Say Bye to Crackers
Crackers for some reason are considered a must for Diwali or any other occasion in India, but if we analyze responsibly, there is nothing fun about crackers. It is just unnecessary noise and air pollution which can and should be avoided. There are green crackers also available in the market as an alternative for the standard ones, you can buy them too.
We can’t wait for the world to change by itself, the change starts from us. So, this Diwali, you can keep the damaging impacts of crackers in mind and let laughter be louder than crackers.
Switch To Earthen Diyas
Oil Diyas are not only charming but 100% pollution free as well. You can ditch the fancy electric lights and go for traditional Diyas. This way you will not only contribute to the environment, you will also be able to support local artisans. You can also make Diyas with clay at home if you want.
What can be better than going all eco-friendly and helping the needy.
Use Biodegradable Gift Wrappings
Since the occasion is all about exchanging gifts, let’s make it a green exchange. You can either buy biodegradable papers from the market or you can use old fancy but deserted fabrics for wrapping gifts. This will not just look creative, but classy as well. You can also choose to use eco-friendly bags to pack your gifts.
Say a big no to non-biodegradable plastic wrappers and bags that will only and only harm the environment.
Make Sweets At Home
Though the sweet market on Diwali is going to be very tempting, you need to hold yourself back from buying any of that junk since it is super unhealthy and can drag you and your family to various illnesses.
Buying sweets is convenient, but have you ever tried making them at home?
You can engage everyone at home and make sweets of your choice in a healthier and better way.
Keep The Fury Friends In Mind
On Diwali, where all of us will be too busy enjoying and cherishing our family moments, we must not forget that this festival can be extremely frightening and confusing for your pets and other animals outside in the streets.
The earth is equally theirs as us and the least we can do is to not use crackers ourselves and request our neighbors to do the same.
Go For An Eco-Friendly Rangoli
Rangoli is an ancient religious art which in earlier days meant not just the decoration, but it was also a way to share your food with ants, birds and mini insects. But today with the artificial colors, not only the essence of Rangoli is fading, but it is harming the environment as well.
So, for this year’s Diwali, you can choose natural colors to make your Rangoli. You can also use things like; flour, salt, turmeric and kumkum etc. which are available at home. This way you will be able to maintain your greener, safer and cleaner Diwali pledge intact.
Be Responsible While Discarding Waste
Festivals can never go without producing a huge amount of waste. So, the first thing you need to do is, try your best to go waste free as much as possible but if you still find some at home or around the street, you can make an effort to separate biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste and dispose in an eco-friendly way.
The Bottom Line
Celebrating occasions is the best feeling in the world, and we have all the rights to enjoy and cherish the moments of happiness, but we need to look into the ways we celebrate.
It’s high time that we choose to be consciously aware of what damage we are doing to mother nature. It is us and only us behind all the damage that’s already been done and if we still continue doing so, the consequences will be horrific.
Also read: 10 Last Minute Diwali Decoration Ideas for your Home
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