Ever since Juno and Jojo came into their lives, festivals have started to feel a little different for Ruchi and her family. They’ve always loved celebrating them, but now there’s a whole new excitement in introducing their little ones to everything they grew up with. Even the smallest things feel special because they’re experiencing them all over again, this time as parents.
For Ruchi, the story is also about raising twins away from extended family and the little community that’s become their family away from home.
Diwali has always been one of Ruchi’s favourite festivals. Growing up in India, it was such an exciting time of year. The house would be full of lights and decorations, everyone would be getting ready and there would be so many delicious sweets around.
She still remembers how eagerly they used to wait for the puja (prayers) to finish because they weren’t allowed to touch the sweets until then. If she’s being completely honest, as a child she was probably less interested in the puja and far more interested in what came after it! Looking back, those are some of the memories that make her smile the most.
Diwali, often called the Festival of Lights, celebrates the victory of light over darkness and good over evil. One of the stories behind it is the return of Lord Rama, Sita and Lakshmana to Ayodhya after 14 years of exile, when people welcomed them by lighting diyas (small oil lamps).
But beyond the religious significance, Diwali has always meant family, togetherness, gratitude and sharing happiness with the people around her. For Ruchi, that’s what makes it so special.
Living in London, away from their families in India, festivals can sometimes make them miss home a little more. There’s the familiar excitement, the family gatherings and all those little traditions they grew up with.
But they’ve been very lucky to find their own little village in London. Over the years, they’ve made some wonderful friends who’ve become like family. So now, Diwali is also about getting everyone together, sharing food and sweets (of course!), decorating their home and introducing their friends to Indian traditions and celebrations.
And since becoming parents, all of this has taken on a completely new meaning.
Last year was Juno and Jojo’s first Diwali, but they were so tiny that they had absolutely no idea what was going on. Ruchi remembers simply being happy to get through the celebrations with two babies, their feeding schedules and everything else that comes with being new parents of twins.
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This year, at 17 months, it’s a different story altogether.
They’re curious about everything. They enjoy getting dressed up in their little traditional outfits, sitting with their parents for small prayers (for however long two toddlers are willing to sit!), looking at the lights and decorations, and generally wanting to explore everything around them.
Getting two toddlers ready for a festival is an experience in itself. By the time everyone’s dressed and ready, one of them is usually already busy undoing all that hard work.
But it’s these little moments that make it so much fun.
They’re still too young to understand why the family celebrates Diwali or what all the traditions mean. Right now, it’s probably just a day filled with colourful clothes, pretty lights, lots of people and excitement.
But I love knowing that, slowly, these celebrations will become part of their childhood memories too.
Growing up in India, Ruchi was surrounded by her culture and traditions without really having to think about it. It was simply part of everyday life. Raising children in London is a little different. The family has to be more intentional about introducing those traditions, and in a way, that makes celebrating them even more meaningful.
They want Juno and Jojo to know their Indian roots, understand where their family comes from and enjoy the festivals their parents grew up celebrating. At the same time, they love that the twins are growing up in London, surrounded by different cultures, people and traditions. Hopefully, they’ll grow up appreciating both.
Another thing that’s become even more important since having twins is the little community they’ve built around themselves. Raising two little ones away from extended family makes having good people around them so valuable.
Our friends here have become our family away from home, and celebrating festivals together makes that bond even more special.
Ruchi sometimes thinks about how different Diwali must look to her parents compared with how the family celebrates it in London. The setting might be different, and they might not have everyone around them the way they did growing up, but the feeling is still the same.
And now they get to pass a little bit of that feeling on to Juno and Jojo.
As the twins grow older, Ruchi knows Diwali will become even more exciting. They’ll start asking questions, understanding the stories, helping with decorations and hopefully looking forward to all the traditions.
And who knows, maybe one day they’ll be just like their mum, sitting through the puja, eagerly waiting for someone to finally say they can have the sweets.
For now, the family is simply enjoying seeing the festival through their eyes and making their own little family memories, one Diwali at a time.
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