Comprehension Activity

Festivals of Light - Comprehension Questions
1. Diwali is known by what other name?
2. Name one of the reasons Hindus celebrate Diwali.
3. What happens on day three of Diwali in Indian celebrations?
4. What happens in the Thai festival of Loy Krathong?
5. Name two festivities that use lighted candles.
6. When is Luciadagen celebrated?
7. What is Kwanzaa?
8. Give two facts about one of the bonfire festivities.

Diwali is also known as the Festival of Light.

Diwali is celebrated to commemorate the return of Rama after 14 years of exile and is also a
celebration in honour of Lakshmi, goddess of fortune and luck.

On day three Lakshmi, goddess of luck and fortune, is celebrated.

Small vessels made from banana leaves (krathong) are floated on water. If the candles in them
remain lit while they are still in sight of the shore, then the wish you make on them is believed
to come true.

Students may think of Loy Krathong, Luciadagen, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, etc. They might also
mention things not in the reading comprehension such as birthdays or Christmas.

Luciadagen is celebrated on Lucia’s Saint’s Day – 13th December.
7. What is Kwanzaa?
Kwanzaa is an African-American festival that remembers the trials and tribulations of the
African-American people. It is a seven-day celebration which includes the use of a seven
branched candelabrum with red, green and black candles.

Students may wish to discuss Bonfire or Guy Fawkes night or the celebration of Noruz in Iran.
They might mention the penny for the Guy or the fact that the celebration commemorates the
attempt to blow up parliament in England in 1605. They might mention that Noruz is celebrated
at the commencement of spring and includes the fact that people jump over the small bonfire to
leave their past wrongs behind.
7. Why is the nine-branched menorah used in Hannukah festivities?
8. What is Kwanzaa?
10. What is one reason why people use light for celebrations?



to come true.



It represents the eight days that the sacred oil in the temple in Jerusalem burned. The extra branch
is for the main candle from which all the others are lit.
8. What is Kwanzaa?
Kwanzaa is an African-American festival that remembers the trials and tribulations of the African-
American people. It is a seven-day celebration which includes the use of a seven branched
candelabrum with red, green and black candles.

Students may wish to discuss Bonfire or Guy Fawkes night or the celebration of Noruz in Iran. They
might mention the penny for the Guy or the fact that the celebration commemorates the attempt to
blow up parliament in England in 1605. They might mention that Noruz is celebrated at the
commencement of spring and includes the fact that people jump over the small bonfire to leave their
past wrongs behind.
Students might include elements from the introductory paragraph – that light is so important to us
as humans or that as the light on earth fades (during the Winter season) people light fires and burn
candles to remember it.
8. What is Kwanzaa?
Extension:
What similarities can you see between these traditions from around the world?
Find the countries mentioned in the text on a map. Why do you think similarities between the
festivities exist?
Does your family have a particular celebration that involves candles/light or bonfires? Explain.



to come true.



It represents the eight days that the sacred oil in the temple in Jerusalem burned after the uprising
of the Maccabees. The extra branch is for the main candle from which all the others are lit.
8. What is Kwanzaa?
Kwanzaa is an African-American festival that remembers the trials and tribulations of the African-
American people. It is a seven-day celebration which includes the use of a seven branched
candelabrum with red, green and black candles.

Students may wish to discuss Bonfire or Guy Fawkes night or the celebration of Noruz in Iran. They
might mention the penny for the Guy or the fact that the celebration commemorates the attempt to
blow up parliament in England in 1605. They might mention that Noruz is celebrated at the
commencement of spring and includes the fact that people jump over the small bonfire to leave their
past wrongs behind.
Students might include elements from the introductory paragraph – that light is so important to us
as humans or that as the light on earth fades (during the Winter season) people light fires and burn
candles to remember it.
Extension:
The celebrations often include the use of a candelabrum with a symbolic number of branches. The
lighting of a specific number of candles on each day is also important. Many of these festivities are
multi-day affairs rather than a simple evening or day.
Find the countries mentioned in the text on a map. Why do you think similarities between the
festivities exist?
Students might concentrate on the notion that many of these festivals take place around the
Northern Hemisphere’s Winter solstice since this is when the night sky is darkest and nights are much
longer. They might also reflect on the idea that light symbolises good while dark symbolises evil and
light festivals are often about good overcoming evil (Guy Fawkes, Noruz, Luciadagen, Diwali etc).
A variety of responses may be found here. An extension into a story or non-fiction piece may be
interesting here.

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Festivals of Light - Comprehension Questions

1. Diwali is known by what other name?

2. Name one of the reasons Hindus celebrate Diwali.

3. What happens on day three of Diwali in Indian celebrations?

4. What happens in the Thai festival of Loy Krathong?

5. Name two festivities that use lighted candles.

6. When is Luciadagen celebrated?

8. Give two facts about one of the bonfire festivities.

Diwali is also known as the Festival of Light.

2. Name one of the reasons Hindus celebrate Diwali.

3. What happens on day three of Diwali in Indian celebrations?

4. What happens in the Thai festival of Loy Krathong?

5. Name two festivities that use lighted candles.

6. When is Luciadagen celebrated?

8. Give two facts about one of the bonfire festivities.

2. Name one of the reasons Hindus celebrate Diwali.

3. What happens on day three of Diwali in Indian celebrations?

4. What happens in the Thai festival of Loy Krathong?

5. Name two festivities that use lighted candles.

6. When is Luciadagen celebrated?

7. Why is the nine-branched menorah used in Hannukah festivities?

Diwali is also known as the Festival of Light.

2. Name one of the reasons Hindus celebrate Diwali.

3. What happens on day three of Diwali in Indian celebrations?

4. What happens in the Thai festival of Loy Krathong?

5. Name two festivities that use lighted candles.

6. When is Luciadagen celebrated?

7. Why is the nine-branched menorah used in Hannukah festivities?

9. Give two facts about one of the bonfire festivities.

2. Name one of the reasons Hindus celebrate Diwali.

3. What happens on day three of Diwali in Indian celebrations?

4. What happens in the Thai festival of Loy Krathong?

5. Name two festivities that use lighted candles.

6. When is Luciadagen celebrated?

7. Why is the nine-branched menorah used in Hannukah festivities?

Diwali is also known as the Festival of Light.

2. Name one of the reasons Hindus celebrate Diwali.

3. What happens on day three of Diwali in Indian celebrations?

4. What happens in the Thai festival of Loy Krathong?

5. Name two festivities that use lighted candles.

6. When is Luciadagen celebrated?

7. Why is the nine-branched menorah used in Hannukah festivities?

9. Give two facts about one of the bonfire festivities.

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