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All of us would likely know someone celebrating Deepavali this October. It may be a business partner, or a friendly neighbour, or even family relatives, but what exactly is Deepavali about? Dive in and unbunk these myths with us!

When is Deepavali?

Depending on the position of the moon, the date of Deepavali changes every year according to the Hindu calendar. Deepavali coincides with the new moon and is deemed the darkest night of the Hindu lunisolar calendar. This year, Deepavali will take place on 31st October 2024.

What is Deepavali about?

If you don’t celebrate Deepavali, you might’ve heard that Deepavali is an ‘Indian new year’, but this is a common misunderstanding! The word ‘Deepavali’ (also known as Diwali) is literally translated as ‘a row of lights’ and is the celebration of the Hindu festival of lights.

While different religions which celebrate Deepavali have different stories, everyone who celebrates Deepavali will agree that at the centre of every legend is the joy that comes from the triumph of light over darkness and good over evil.

Who celebrates Deepavali?

While Deepavali is known as a Hindu festival, it is also celebrated by other Indian religions such as the Sikhs and Jains.

Contrary to popular belief, Deepavali is not celebrated by all Indians as it is a religious celebration (not a cultural celebration!). Hence, it would be good to make sure you understand your business partners’ and neighbours’ beliefs before wishing them a ‘Happy Deepavali’!

How is Deepavali celebrated?

Colours, colours and more colours! Those who celebrate Deepavali will prepare for it by spring-cleaning their house and decorating them with oil lamps and rangoli (intricate artworks made using bright coloured sand, rice flour, flower petals and more).

People normally celebrate Deepavali by visiting each other’s friends and family, and often gather for a big, hearty meal with delicious traditional sweet treats and more!

Gifting for Deepavali

If you’re looking to gift for Deepavali, there are some things you may want to consider, such as:

Alcohol:
Does your business partner or loved one drink alcohol? Different religions have different convictions, and each family celebrates Deepavali in a unique way.
Many people who celebrate Deepavali would be happy to share more about their convictions, so if in doubt, simply ask your recipients what they are comfortable with and what would be appropriate.

Lights:
Since Deepavali celebrates the triumph of light over evil, many families often decorate their homes with oil lamps and candles. Adding fairy lights to your gifts can be a meaningful way to share the joy and warmth with a modern touch!

Thinking of sending gifts to your cherished ones for Deepavali? Browse our wide range of Deepavali gifts and flowers at hummings.com or call 6844 2222 to inquire more about our best-selling Deepavali gifts today!

From all of us at Humming, we wish you a Deepavali filled with the warmth and light of togetherness.

September, the month of no public holidays in Singapore, and where many of our colleagues eagerly wait for the next day off in October. Wouldn’t it be fun to bring a little cheer and liven up the office in September?

As Mid-Autumn Festival approaches on 17th September, Tuesday, HR teams like yourselves have a wonderful opportunity to engage employees and foster a sense of community within the workplace. Here is your complete, ready-made proposal of 3 fun activities you can send to your bosses that are sure to spread some Mid-Autumn joy.

Objective: Enhance team bonding, promote positivity, and celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival in the workplace

Target Audience: All employees

Duration: Activities will take place in the two weeks leading up to the Mid-Autumn Festival

Budget: $300 (depending on the scale of participation)

#1 Mid-Autumn Mooncake Lucky Draw

In the past, mooncakes served as more than just tasty treats. During the Ming Dynasty, these mouthwatering pastries were known to contain instructions for the rebel forces, allowing discreet communication against the ruling government.

Inspired by the history of mooncakes, this Mid-Autumn Festival, we can create a simple lucky draw concept that everyone will benefit from!

🥮 Instructions: Decorate a large cardboard box with a colourful mooncake design and place it in the common area. Encourage your colleagues to drop in positive messages, words of wisdom or funny jokes throughout the week leading up to Mid-Autumn Festival and remind them to write the departments they are from down on the notes! Each person may leave as many notes as they want to increase their chances of winning.

On the day of Mid-Autumn Festival, conduct a festive lucky draw during lunch in which the organising party will pick a random note from the box. Treat the department whom this note belongs to with a special dining voucher! Everyone else will then be able to draw a note from the box and keep an encouraging or humorous note for themselves.

This simple activity not only promotes positivity and warmth in the workplace, it also fosters deeper relationships within and across departments, strengthening bonds while adding a creative touch in a resource-light activity!

Budget: $150 – 200 (depending on the number of lucky draw prizes you want to give)

#2 Mid-Autumn Riddles

As excitement builds in the Mid-Autumn Lucky Draw, have some fun activities to get everyone thinking!

🥮 Instructions: Prepare a series of fun riddles related to the festival. Whether it’s about your favourite mooncake flavours, lanterns or more, display these riddles at the common area in office.

As the week goes by, colleagues can work individually or in small groups to solve the riddles, creating a fun environment that promotes friendly competition. Reveal the answers at the end of the day, ensuring everyone has a good laugh and sense of satisfaction over their creative interpretations.

Budget: $10 (for any craft material to write and display these riddles at work)

#3 Mooncake Feast

What is Mid-Autumn Festival without mooncake? This September, celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival with a mouthwatering feast of assorted mooncakes and traditional teas. Traditional mooncakes, snow skin mooncakes, teochew mooncakes and more!

🥮Instructions: Set up a tasting station with different mooncake flavours and teas. Allow everyone to explore and enjoy different fillings.

As Singaporeans who love food, bonding with one another always comes over a meal. What better way to bond than with these sweet treats and a comforting selection of teas? Share your favourite memories related to Mid-Autumn Festival or have a friendly ‘squabble’ about what the best mooncake flavour is.

Budget: $150 – 200 (depending on the number of mooncakes you wish to order)

The Unforgettable Gift of Mid-Autumn Festival

Life often gets so busy that we forget the thing that matters the most – our relationships with others. This Mid-Autumn Festival, we hope these 3 easy-to-execute activities will help bring some joy and foster relationships as we take time to slow down and reconnect with one another.

So, are you ready to celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival? Let the fun begin!

Looking for mooncake gifts? Join us in celebrating Mid-Autumn Festival with our classy mooncake gifts, fit for fostering deeper relationships between you and your loved ones or with corporate clients.

If you wish to customise your Mid-Autumn gifts, we welcome you to connect with us through any of the following ways you prefer:

Phone: 6844 2222

WhatsApp (Messages Only): 8611 4422

Email: enquiry@humming.com.sg