Festival of Lights

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Festival of Light or Celebration of Light is a common name (or translation) for many disparate events and groups throughout the world. The events range from deeply religious and significant observances to cultural festivals to small local celebrations and displays. Groups with these names are often religious or humanitarian.

[edit] Cultural and Religious Events

• Diwali or Deepavali - literally translates as Row of Lights and is celebrated across the Indian Subcontinent as a religious holiday in Hinduism, Sikhism, and Jainism and as more of a cultural holiday similar to New Years.
• Chaharshanbe Suri - also called the Festival of Fire, Festival of Lights, and Red Wednesday and is considered to be part of Norouz the Persian New Year.
• Hanukkah (also called Chanukah, The Festival of Lights, and The Festival of Re-dedication), is a Jewish festival celebrating the re-kindling of the Temple menorah at the time of the Maccabee rebellion.
• Fête des lumières, the Fête des lumières, or "festival of lights," a French local tradition.

[edit] Civic events

• Holiday Trail of Lights - a multi-city event celebrated in Louisiana and Texas in the United States.
• The Magnificent Mile Lights Festival - held in Chicago, Illinois in the United States.
• The Lights of Lobethal. Every Christmas, the town of Lobethal, South Australia hold a festival in hich the majority of residents and businesses decorate their homes with Christmas Lights and other chritmas decorations. The event is know across Australia and brings locals and visitors into the town.
• The Cavalcade of Lights Festival - held in Toronto, Ontario in Canada.
• Blackpool Illuminations - a six mile free light show at Blackpool on the Fylde Coast in England with associated Festival of Light.
• The Atlantic Superstore Festival of Lights - Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island a summer concert series.
• Kobe Luminarie - a Kobe, Japan memorial event.
• Peterborough Summer Festival of Lights - Peterborough, Ontario in Canada. A summer concert series.
• HSBC Celebration of Light - Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. An international fireworks and light display show.
• West Country Carnival held in various towns in south west England

[edit] Political meanings

• Festival of Light Australia (Advocacy Group)
• Nationwide Festival of Light, a series of marches and rallies by various conservative Christian groups in September of 1971 in the United Kingdom, in protest over perceived moral and spiritual decay.