Make your own…Celebration lantern

Light is more than just something that helps us see—it’s full of meaning. People all over the world use light to celebrate, remember, and understand big ideas.

In Hinduism, Jainism, and Sikhism, the festival of Diwali is all about light. It celebrates Dharma—doing what’s right. Zoroastrians honour fire and light as signs of truth and wisdom. In the Bible, God says “Let there be light!” at the very beginning. In Islam, light can mean Nur, a symbol of divine guidance and kindness, or Nar, fire that can be dangerous or tricky.

Light also connects to learning. The word Enlightenment means growing in knowledge—through science, reason, and even spiritual understanding.

Researchers study religion to explore how people make sense of the world. You could use light to help you make sense of big ideas like hope, trust, and change. It also helps us have conversations between different beliefs, showing how we can share ideas even when we all don’t believe the same things.

By learning about light in religion, we discover new ways to understand each other—and the world around us.