Companies Spot a Niche for Diwali Merchandise

c. 2006 Religion News Service (UNDATED) Vasudha Narayanan was browsing in a Walgreens in Gainesville, Fla., last year when she saw something she’d never seen before in an American drugstore _ greeting cards for the holiday Diwali. “I was so happy,” said Narayanan, who was born in India. “It was like a piece of home […]

c. 2006 Religion News Service

(UNDATED) Vasudha Narayanan was browsing in a Walgreens in Gainesville, Fla., last year when she saw something she’d never seen before in an American drugstore _ greeting cards for the holiday Diwali.

“I was so happy,” said Narayanan, who was born in India. “It was like a piece of home almost. It was a real symbol of being part of the American fabric.”


The card display was an effort to market products associated with Diwali, which is celebrated by Hindus, Sikhs and Jains, and falls on Saturday (Oct. 21) this year.

“It’s an important holiday for a company to recognize,” said David Morse, president and CEO of New American Dimensions, a Los Angeles-based multicultural market research firm. “It shows they’re really in tune with Indian culture.”

Diwali, also known as Deepavali, is a festive time in India, and American companies are just beginning to recognize the significance of this holiday to the estimated 2 million South Asians living in the U.S.

“Overall, there’s no question that U.S. companies are aggressively trying to use Diwali as a way to reach and connect with South Asians,” said Rajan Shah, president of the marketing think tank Phenomenon and co-founder of the Association of South Asians in Media and Marketing.

Within the United States, Diwali is generally not well-known. As corporations discover Diwali, Shah said, they need to be sensitive to the religious aspects of the holiday or else risk alienating the consumers they seek.

“Much like people are concerned about Christmas being exploited, there’s always the potential of people feeling Diwali is being exploited,” Shah said. “You have to find a middle ground and make sure you’re respecting the holiday.”

It’s a holiday with multiple religious meanings across each faith tradition. Hindus celebrate for different reasons in different regions of India, but one common theme is the triumph of good.


“Deepavali, translated, means the necklace of lights or row of lamps,” said Narayanan, a religion professor at the University of Florida. “It’s celebrated in most parts of India to commemorate the victory of light over darkness and what is righteous over evil.”

Some perform a puja, or worship ceremony, to Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and prosperity. In some parts of India, the holiday lasts for several days or marks the start of a new fiscal year. As part of the celebration, people often set off fireworks, eat sweets, and visit family and friends. Many people decorate their homes with small oil lamps called deepas or diyas.

“There are so many different reasons people celebrate Diwali and so many different customs,” said Deborah Heiligman, author of a children’s book, “Celebrate Diwali,” published by the National Geographic Society this year.

Rather than roll out a line of Diwali-related holiday products, American businesses that want to reach people who celebrate Diwali are more likely to offer Diwali good wishes in advertisements in South Asian magazines and newspapers.

Hallmark has been a notable exception. Exchanging Diwali cards is a custom in India, and Hallmark launched a line of Diwali greeting cards in 2003. This year the company is offering four Diwali cards.

“Hallmark has really been at the forefront as an American company taking a product and customizing it for Diwali, and I think they have started a trend,” Shah said.


In response to customer requests, American Greetings and Blue Mountain.com began offering Diwali e-cards in 2004. There are currently 19 Diwali e-cards available on American Greetings and 14 available on Blue Mountain.

At IKEA, they don’t sell specific Diwali items, but company officials are aware of how their products might be used.

“We knew that sweets were exchanged and there were oil lamps and electrical lights used,” said Janice Simonsen, a design spokeswoman for IKEA, “so we came up with a display that highlighted ways to serve sweets or candles that could work.”

While those traditions continue in the U.S., other Diwali customs are adapted to fit an American lifestyle.

“In India, Diwali is a domestic celebration,” said Tracy Pintchman, religious studies professor at Loyola University in Chicago. “You’re at home, you’re visiting neighbors and bringing them sweets.”

Schools and businesses close in India for Diwali, but in the U.S. when the holiday falls on a weekday, most people are at work, so there’s often a party on the weekend.


“There’s a new way of celebrating Diwali that doesn’t necessarily happen in India,” said Suhag Shukla, legal counsel for the Hindu American Foundation and a practicing Hindu. “The community gets together in a hall and has a big shindig, basically.” Shukla, who was born in the U.S., said there might be a dinner followed by a talent show featuring classical Indian dance or dancing with a DJ.

“There’s another way U.S. companies are starting to get their feet wet,” Shah said. “You’ll find they’re sponsoring local festivals for Diwali, or local events in big urban markets.”

Whether they’re focusing on advertising, products or sponsorship, companies that acknowledge this religious holiday without appearing to exploit it can have a powerful effect, observers said.

“It feels special,” said Shukla, who discovered lamps similar to diyas at Target last year. “Here’s something from where I’m from and other people are able to see the beauty in it.”

KRE/PH END ROAN

Editors: To obtain photos of Diwali cards from Hallmark, go to the RNS Web site at https://religionnews.com. On the lower right, click on “photos,” then search by subject or slug.

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