“Diwali is always such a time for joy and celebration with your family. Even Halloween, how I’ve always celebrated it, it’s about laughing and sharing treats and dressing up.

Once students came to the United States, they realized it wasn’t the same. “The first time I was working on Diwali was my first year in the U.S.,” Prasad said. “I was a master’s student back in ...

This year, Oct. 31 also falls on the third and most important night of Diwali, the five-day Hindu festival of lights, and Ms. Singh, who is Guyanese of East Indian descent, will be serving family ...