Hindus, Sikhs, Jains and Indians around the world began celebrating Diwali today, the "festival of lights," a five-day holiday marked by fireworks and lamps that signals the end of the harvest and the beginning of the new year.
President Obama released a message today in observance of Diwali.
"To those celebrating Diwali, I wish you, your families and loved ones Happy Diwali and Saal Mubarak," read the statement, invoking the traditional Hindi phrase for "Happy New Year."
Obama was the first president to attend a Diwali celebration back in 2009.
In his statement, he also praised communities celebrating Diwali for their assistance to victims of Hurricane Sandy.
"It is a testament to the compassion of these communities that so many of them have helped those that have been devastated by Hurricane Sandy."
He also expressed sympathy for the Sikh community in Wisconsin that was attacked by a lone gunman in August. He killed six people at a Sikh temple and wounded a police officer who had responded to the shooting before taking his own life.
"Earlier this year, we were reminded of the evil that exists in the world when a gunman walked into the Sikh gurdwara in Oak Creek, Wisconsin and opened fire. In the wake of that horrible tragedy, we saw the resilience of a community that drew strength from their faith and a sense of solidarity with their neighbors, Sikh and non-Sikh alike. We also saw compassion and love, in the heroic actions of the first responders and the outpouring of support from people across the country. Out of a day of sadness, we were reminded that the beauty of America remains our diversity, and our right to religious freedom."
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