Diwali is celebrated over five days in most of North India. All the days except Diwali are named using the designation in the Indian calendar. A lunar half-month is 15 days. Diwali as a new-moon day marks the last day of a 15-day period.
1. Dhan-trayodashi or Dhan teras: Dhan means "wealth" and Trayodashi means "13th day". Thus, as the name implies, this day falls on the 13th day of the first half of the lunar month. It is an auspicious day for shopping.
2. Naraka Chaturdasi: Narak means 'of a new era of Light and Knowledge'. Chaturdasi implies fourteenth day.
3. Diwali: the actual day of Diwali, is celebrated on the third day of the festival, when the moon completely wanes and total darkness sets in the night sky.
4. Varsha-pratipada or Padwa: Beginning of the New Year (Kartikadi Vikram). Pratipada means the first.
5. Bhayiduj (also Bhayyaduj, Bhaubeej or Bhayitika): on this day, brothers and sisters meet to express their love and affection for each other.
The celebrations vary in different regions:
- In Southern India, naraka chaturdashii is the main day, with firecrackers at dawn.
- The main festival is on Amavasya evening with Lakshmi Puja which is followed by lighting of oil lamps around the house.
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