Festivals of light, colour and service
Diwali, Holi, Vaisakhi and Wesak look very different, but each puts a belief into public, physical form.
Lesson overview
What you'll learn in this lesson
Explain how festivals, worship and rites of passage express belief
Key learning points
- • Diwali and Holi
- • Wesak
- • Vaisakhi
This lesson at a glance
- 25 minutes
- 19 parts to scroll through
- 4 quick checks
- Marked quiz at the end
- Gentle pace: short sittings with pauses
Words to know
Scroll down — the lesson carries on below
Watch & discover
Part 1 of 19
Visual introductionPicture this
Festivals of light, colour and service
Diwali, Holi, Vaisakhi and Wesak look very different, but each puts a belief into public, physical form.
In a nutshell
Explain how festivals, worship and rites of passage express belief
Learning cycle
Part 2 of 19
Learning cycle 1 of 2
Part 1 · Diwali and Holi
A short piece of teaching, then a check to make sure it has landed.
Explore the idea
Part 3 of 19
Learn
Diwali and Holi
Diwali, the festival of lights, is celebrated by Hindus, Sikhs and Jains, with lamps, sweets and gifts, expressing light overcoming darkness and knowledge overcoming ignorance. Holi, in spring, uses colour and playfulness to mark renewal and the loosening of social barriers.
Reset break
Part 4 of 19
Pause
That's sitting 1 of 5 done
Stretch, get a drink, look out of the window. There is no timer and nothing is counting down — your place is saved, so you can come back in five minutes or tomorrow.
Explore the idea
Part 5 of 19
Learn
Wesak
Wesak marks the birth, enlightenment and death of the Buddha. Practices include giving to those in need, releasing captive animals in some traditions, meditation and decorating temples with lights and flowers.
Quick check
Part 6 of 19
Quick check
Part 7 of 19
Reset break
Part 8 of 19
Pause
That's sitting 2 of 5 done
Stretch, get a drink, look out of the window. There is no timer and nothing is counting down — your place is saved, so you can come back in five minutes or tomorrow.
Learning cycle
Part 9 of 19
Learning cycle 2 of 2
Part 2 · Vaisakhi
A short piece of teaching, then a check to make sure it has landed.
Explore the idea
Part 10 of 19
Learn
Vaisakhi
Vaisakhi celebrates the founding of the Khalsa in 1699 and involves processions, readings of the Guru Granth Sahib, and langar served to whoever comes. Service to others is the point, not a side effect.
Quick check
Part 11 of 19
Reset break
Part 12 of 19
Pause
That's sitting 3 of 5 done
Stretch, get a drink, look out of the window. There is no timer and nothing is counting down — your place is saved, so you can come back in five minutes or tomorrow.
Quick check
Part 13 of 19
Explore the idea
Part 14 of 19
Worked example
Worked example: reading a festival
Question: what does Wesak's practice of giving express? Answer: it expresses the belief that compassion reduces suffering. The four noble truths identify craving as the cause of suffering, so acts of generosity are treated as practice, not merely charity — behaviour is the training, not the reward.
Challenge round
Part 15 of 19
Game · Sort it
Which of these are true?
Drag each card into the right column. Tap a card first if dragging is fiddly.
True
Not true
Reset break
Part 16 of 19
Pause
That's sitting 4 of 5 done
Stretch, get a drink, look out of the window. There is no timer and nothing is counting down — your place is saved, so you can come back in five minutes or tomorrow.
Challenge round
Part 17 of 19
Game · Recall cards
Which festival marks the founding of the Khalsa?
Card 1 of 4
Mastery quiz
Part 18 of 19
Marked quiz
End of lesson quiz: Festivals of light, colour and service
4 questions, marked with the reasoning shown. No timer.
1. Which festival marks the founding of the Khalsa?
2. What does Diwali express?
3. What does Wesak commemorate?
4. Why is generosity described as practice in Buddhist teaching?
Lesson round-up
Part 19 of 19
Lesson round-up
Ready when you are
Quiz score
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Luna: 0 out of 4 on the practice checks. Only if you feel up to it — one more?
Ask LunaPart 1 of 19 · Watch & discover