Diwali (or Deepavali) is the five-day festival of lights from India, celebrated by over a billion people all over the world. The festival, which coincides with the Hindu New Year, celebrates new beginnings and the triumph of good over evil and light over darkness. As Diwali, like many festivals in the East, is tied to the lunar calendar, it takes place on a different date every year. This year it is taking place on the 27th of October.
Just like Christmas, many gifts are exchanged between family and friends leading up to Diwali. And though we advocate a life of minimalism, we understand that there are some formalities and traditions which can just be unavoidable. We have therefore prepared a small list of our favourite eco-friendly gifts! And yes, these are plastic-free!
1.
Bikanervala: A name that is almost synonymous with sweets and celebration in India, Bikanervala has been selling
mithai (Indian sweets) for over a century and now boasts stores in multiple locations across New Zealand. Insist on the mithai being packed in boxes only to avoid the unnecessary plastic packaging.
2.
Mountain Valley Manuka Honey: Want to gift something sweet but also healthy? New Zealand is known all over the world for its honey. And Manuka honey contains active compounds which give it natural antibacterial properties, setting it apart from other honey. We picked Mountain Valley because unlike others, their honey comes packed in glass jars and is also quite reasonably priced.
3.
Eco Friendly Yoga Mat: Of course, no list would be complete without our beautiful cork yoga mat - and with summer around the corner, this will be the perfect gift for those who wanting to rekindle their yoga practice in the New Year. We recommend the
Elephant yoga mat to go with all the Ganesha present during Diwali.
4.
Cali Woods: CaliWoods is perhaps the place in New Zealand to get eco friendly products for use at home. They have everything from beautiful stainless steel straws to clothing pegs and everything in between.
5.
The Gift of Yoga: A beautiful new sustainable yoga studio that has opened up in Takapuna. Emma, the owner was kind to share a 10% discount on all of their class passes for Valka Yogis with the discount code
VALKAYOGA.
6.
Copper Water Bottle: The copper bottle is actually hammered by hand to create a beautiful aesthetic. Drinking water from a copper vessel has many health benefits - a practice that has been carried on in India for millennia. These bottles make greats gifts. And guess what? They're all made in India!
Do you have any other plastic free or zero waste gift ideas for Diwali? Please share with us below - we would love to know.
