Spotlight on Culture: Diwali Festival of Lights, Peninsula Library Friends Foundation (PLFF)

On November 9th, The Peninsula Library Friends Foundation celebrated Diwali and light conquering darkness: spreading light and joy to the world with vibrancy and jubilee. The Peninsula Center Library community room was elaborately decorated for this South Asian event, cosponsored by the Peninsula Hill Foundation. The festival showed off a rich heritage, brilliant and colorful clothing, aromatic food, intricate and exotic dance, inventive music and classical art. Indian or Desi culture is celebrated by people of Bharat descent. Their national symbols: animal, tiger; bird, peacock; and flower, lotus. Indians introduced the concept of “zero” to the math world. They have some of the world’s best cricket players 2025 Indian Women’s Cricket World Champions. They are associated with the largest democracy. And they are known for inventing the game of chess.