How to brighten up your Diwali this year despite the pandemic?

Two years into the pandemic, and we’ve finally begun to accept that Covid-19 is here to stay. With new rules and restrictions every day, it’s difficult to imagine things ever getting back to normal. But for us in India, things have hardly ever been “normal”.

This country has, since the time of the Raj and before that, adapted to new ways of survival. Colonisation, natural disasters, terrorist attacks - we have lived through it all. Our diversity brings us together every day. Every month, we have something to celebrate – Christmas, Valentine’s Day, Holi, Eid, Diwali – we love our festivals, and the Coronavirus will not come in our way.

Today we are better armed than we were a year ago. With more information, government protocols, masks, and vaccinations, we have developed new ways to mark special occasions, as well as learnt to make every occasion special. Diwali has always been special for India, but never before have we needed it this much. Diwali is the celebration of light over darkness, and the pandemic calls for making this year’s Diwali brighter than ever.

How to brighten up your Diwali during the pandemic:

1. Mental Diwali

According to the Mental Health Foundation, festivals can help us cope with stress, anxiety, and sadness. We are no strangers to negativity in the pandemic. Diwali is the perfect occasion to lighten up, not just your home, but your mind. Do things that make you happy and bring you joy. Wear your finest clothes, listen to your favourite music, gift yourself the best Diwali gifts, go all out and pamper yourself.

2. Early Diwali House-Cleaning and Food-Making

Since Covid began, home is where we work and where we play. Why not start Diwali cleaning early this year and make your home the best place to be? Light your house up with fairly lights, diyas, and lanterns. Clean out your closet and separate your clothes to give away to the needy. Put your newly-learnt cooking skills to test: make something new and special this Diwali. Make the traditional chaklis, and other classic Diwali snacks. But also try a new tiramisu recipe and bake that casserole you've always wanted to.

3. Spending Time With Loved Ones

Diwali is as much about light as it is about love. Spend quality time and have heart-to-heart conversations with the members of your household. Being socially isolated during Diwali doesn’t have to be a bad thing. Use Diwali as an excuse to make more time for your relatives and friends, whether its in small socially-distanced gatherings, or virtually. Simple pujas at home, board games and playing cards, movie or trivia nights with your crew, and dinners with family, are great ways to spend more time with loved ones.

4. Diwali Gifts

Shopping for gifts has never been easier. With everything available online, why not search for the best personalised gifts for him and her? Check out Treed fern, Treed Lana, Treed Terra, and other Treed wooden watches to gift your loved ones. With special engraved messages, you can memorialise your love and really personalise your Diwali gift this year.

5. Become Vocal for Local

Making India “aatmanirbhar” is something we must all take as a personal responsibility. The general economy and small localised business-owners have both taken a hit due to Covid-19. Brighten up your Diwali by brightening somebody else’s – buy gifts and products from companies that use Indian craftsmen. Treed is an Indian watch and lifestyle company. Buying a Treed classic or Treed original watch can be the perfect product. It will not only aid Indian sellers, but will also help you remember to celebrate life and enjoy your time here.

6. Make It Environmentally-Friendly

With floods and fires decimating the planet, it has become more important to think about the environment than ever before. Supporting Indian ecology is as essential as supporting its economy. People celebrating Diwali have become increasingly more conscious when it comes to the environment. Diwali doesn’t mean crackers anymore. Use sustainable lamps, reusable products, and handicraft gifts that are made from natural products like wood. 

Despite the pandemic, we have a lot to look forward to every day, if we only care to look. Build up your excitement for Diwali and make it extra special this year. Fill your time with extra love and light. Check out Treed's natural wooden watches to help your preserve the best of the past, the present of the now, and the possibility of the future.