Indians sprinkle friends and strangers with shiny powder. They squirt each other with colored water. Everyone ends up wet and colorful. Diwali is also the Hindu New Year. Fireworks light up the sky in every city.
People dress up in new clothes and give out presents.
Diwali is the most important Hindu holiday. It worships the goddess Lakshmi. The other leading religions are Christianity, Sikhs, Buddhism, and Jains. The Hindus worship three gods. They are Brahma, the creator, Vishnu, the preserver, and Shiva, the destroyer.