1. That familiar smell of the festival approaching on winter mornings

2. Watching firecracker stalls come up everywhere in your locality

3. Watching your neighbours decorating their homes slowly and steadily

4. Consequently starting the cleaning and tidying process with your family in your own home

Time to bring out new pillow covers, bed sheets, drapes, and everything clean and pretty. 

5. Going out and buying all the things you will need for the big Puja

6. Getting spoilt for choice when you go out to buy lanterns, string lights, and pretty diyas

And who can forget Rangoli colours? 

7. The excitement of going out and splurging on lovely traditional clothes and matching accessories

Diwali bonus used well. 

8. The process of getting together with your family and setting up the lights and the lanterns in every corner of the house

9. Helping out in the kitchen when your mother prepares sweets, prasad, and other yummy delicacies for the Puja

Watching all this delectable food being prepared in front of you already building up your appetite. 

10. Finally getting dressed up in your best clothes, hours before the Puja

11. Trying to concentrate on the Puja when your mind keeps shifting to eating the yummy prasad

The food is watching you. 

12. The feeling you get when the Puja ends and you can finally proceed towards lighting up your entire home with pretty diyas with your family

13. When you look outside and see the entire neighbourhood starting their celebrations with vigour and joy

Not to mention the building excitement in you as you hear the sound of bursting crackers. 

14. When you finally start the celebration of the festival of lights

Friends, family, crackers, and lights. And maybe, booze afterwards. 

15. The unmatched feeling of being surrounded by everyone you love, and knowing that festivals bring everyone closer, for good