The Bay Area is no stranger to Diwali due to its large South Asian population. Residents born in India are the largest immigrant group in Alameda and Santa Clara County.
This presented the perfect opportunity for Bay FC forward Penelope Hocking, defender Savy King, forward Racheal Kundananj and goalkeeper Jordan Silkowitz to experience their first Diwali festivals.
The group recently visited Pints of Joy in Sunnyvale to enjoy Indian ice cream, trying flavors popular during Diwali, as co-owner Ketiki Dandekar explained how the holiday is celebrated.
What is Diwali?
Diwali is a five-day festival in India, beginning on October 31st this year and ending on November 1st.
How is the holiday celebrated?
Dandekar explained that the holiday is celebrated with families gathering around as the players filled in the “B” logo Rangoli. “Rangoli is a traditional Indian decoration or designs. Particularly done during the month of Diwali. Essentially, it’s like a chalk powder, colored with a nice pigment,” said Dandekar. “Traditionally, people use oil and a wick to light the lamps.”
Dandekar explained to the players that they were putting together color, lights, and vanishing away the evil, by calling for good health, and good wishes.
“What other symbols do you guys make with the sand?” Hocking asked.
“There’s just a lot of pretty decorations, that is done almost outside every house or just like a welcome gesture,” Dandekar added. “The other symbolic things that we do are these marigolds.” The symbolic things of Diwali are that people use a lot of marigold flowers, lights, and lanterns. Not to mention that there is a lot of food and sweets.
“Each day symbolizes something. One day, you dedicate it to the goddess of wealth. Your offerings to the goddess of wealth, Lakshmi, you wish prosperity to your friends and family. One day is when you honor your brother so you would call him home and give him some sweets and delicacies and honor that whole brother and sister relationship. One day the wife is honored so the husband would give her presents and essentially getting together, driving away evil spirits,” said Dandekar. “It’s a lot of celebration.”
The History of Pints of Joy
Pints of Joy was founded in 2020 by two mothers: Dandekar and Arshiya Shaikh. After losing their jobs during the COVID-19 shutdown, they decided to open an ice cream shop in Sunnyvale.
Customers can choose from non-dairy and vegan ice creams at Pints of Joy. Dandekar explained that their ice creams are eggless and handmade.
Watch the flavors that Hocking, King, Kundananji, and Silkowitz enjoyed and what they learned about Diwali below:
