【南亞／節慶】煙火、甜點、藍果麗，南亞歡慶排燈節

藍果麗

These geometric patterns, religious symbols and floral designs are drawn on the floor of one’s home, often using chalk and colorful powders, as a way to ward off evil spirits and welcome the good faith of gods and goddesses. The word "rangoli" is derived from the Sanskrit word "rangavalli" and roughly translates to "rows of colors," a fitting image for Diwali’s message of light conquering darkness.

這些幾何圖案、宗教符號和花卉設計繪製在家中的地板上，通常使用粉筆和彩色粉末，用來抵禦惡靈和歡迎神靈的善意。「藍果麗」這個詞來源於梵語「rangavalli」，大致翻譯為「一排排的顏色」，這是表達排燈節光明征服黑暗訊息的合適形象。

煙火、鞭炮、仙女棒

Why is India’s air so polluted? Diwali celebrations may cause pollution to spike but there are bigger culprits that contaminate the air, especially during winter.

印度空汙為何如此嚴重？排燈節的慶典或許造成汙染飆高，但有汙染空氣更大兇手，特別在冬天。

甜食：It's not Diwali without Mithai

Visiting a South Asian sweet shop during Diwali is a joyous and chaotic experience. Lines trail out the door. Employees furiously pack ornate boxes containing laddoos enriched with ghee, spongy rasgula and all manner of colorful sweets, often made with dairy, sugar and nuts and sometimes topped with a layer of edible silver foil. Friends and relatives meet around the display cases by happenstance, exchanging good wishes. Diwali, which will be celebrated within South Asia and among its diaspora on Oct. 24 this year, commemorates the triumph of light over darkness. Central to that celebration is mithai, or sweets. Mass-produced mithai are readily available online, but these five independent shops make their sweets by hand every day, offering their local South Asian communities a taste of the familiar. Diwali is their prime time.

在排燈節期間來到南亞甜品店是一種歡樂而混亂的體驗。隊伍排出門外，員工瘋狂地包裝華麗的盒子，裡面裝滿了富含酥油的「萊杜球」、海綿般印度奶湯圓和五顏六色的各式甜點，這些甜點通常是用乳製品、糖和堅果製成，有時還鋪上一層可食用的銀箔。在甜點櫃旁不期而遇的親朋好友互相祝福。今年南亞地區及其僑民將在10月24日慶祝排燈節，以紀念光明戰勝黑暗。慶祝活動的核心是「米泰」，也就是甜點。大量生產的米泰很容易在網上買到，但這五家獨立商店每天都手工製作糖果，為他們當地的南亞社區提供熟悉的味道，而排燈節就是他們的黃金時間。