Year 3 - Religious education
Diwali in India and the UK
Festivals: How do ancient stories influence modern celebrations?
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This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
In this unit pupils investigate two festivals: Diwali and Christmas. They make links between the concept of dharma and the celebrations at Diwali. They investigate how Diwali is changing in recent times. In addition, they analyse how Christmas has changed in its meaning in the UK today.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to explain what Diwali is and how Hindu communities celebrate it in different ways.
Key Notes
- Diwali is a five day celebration observed by millions of Hindus in India and worldwide.
- The story of Lakshmi is told by some Hindus at Diwali as well as the Ramayana.
- Different Hindus may celebrate and remember different events during Diwali. This shows diversity.
- Many Hindus will use lights and create rangoli patterns to ask for blessings for the year ahead.
- Diwali will look and feel different in a Hindu majority country like India compared to the UK.
Vocabulary To Learn
- majority: the larger group of people or things
- minority: the smaller group of people or things
- diversity: doing things in a variety of ways
- Lakshmi: the deity of wealth, prosperity, and good fortune
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- Diwali is celebrated in the same way everywhere in the world.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain the lesson in two key points.
Diwali is a five day celebration observed by millions of Hindus in India and worldwide. The story of Lakshmi is told by some Hindus at Diwali as well as the Ramayana.
2. What does this key word mean in this lesson? 'majority'
the larger group of people or things.
3. Correct this common mistake.
Mistake: Diwali is celebrated in the same way everywhere in the world. Correction: Diwali is celebrated by most Hindus. However, its celebration will vary according to geographical and cultural context.
More Lessons In This Unit
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