How is diwali celebrated?

How is Diwali celebrated by Indian students in various Universities abroad?

• Do they do anything on Diwali day or do they have a formal celebration a few days before Diwali?

• Answer:

  The scale of celebrations depends on various factors, most notably: 1. The strength (in numbers) of the Indian population 2. The funds available with the Indian association at the university (if there exists one, that is) 3. In general, the ease with which independent bodies can organize events inside campus. I live in the Bay Area (California) which has a large population of Indians (students at universities and engineers in Silicon Valley). Consequently, celebrations here are grand. Stanford University For instance, recently (10-11 November 2012) Stanford celebrated Diwali. I didn't visit, but there was a grand celebration, with participation from students in the Bay Area and Indians working at all major software companies nearby. Stanford stands strong on all the above factors. Friends who attended said that it was grand. There was pooja, free food (and a lot of it), dance (typically to Bollywood songs) and general celebrations. I'm not sure about crackers and fireworks, but they must have been present to some extent. This is usually the template for a Diwali celebration at a big American university. Berkeley The following weekend, a similar celebration will take place at Berkeley. The scale will probably be smaller than Stanford, because it will mostly involve Indian students at Berkeley only. But the advertisements lay out the same routine - pooja, food and dance. Other American universities Again similar stuff, with grandness varying from mundane to extravagant. Europe I believe celebrations in European universities are more subdued, but I would like someone with more information to confirm this. Personally, it is nothing like being in India during this time. One does tend to miss family and the festivities, none of which can be replicated here. Despite that, it isn't disappointing, and the value of the celebration goes up because people want to make the most of what they're missing. Although, I'm glad to be away from the noise and smog that defines most cities in India during this time.