This is not a blog post. This is a memo. Avoid following the advice at your own risk!

Ladies and gentlemen, presenting to you 10 simple tips you need to follow and voila – your Diwali is a super-success!

1. Visit every Diwali mela in town

And there will be quite a few in every city. For folks in Delhi you can choose from ones at the Blind School, Dilli Haat, CRPF Ground, the Epicentre... attending a Diwali mela is like a tradition of sorts. It’s a lot of fun also!

2. Shop till you drop

Because flush with your Diwali bonus and every single store/portal offering a sale, you will be able to buy that flat screen TV, that new washing machine, clothes for the entire family, new mobile phone, etc... the list is endless! Word of advice – be a smart shopper – in case you are shopping online, compare prices at several website and look-out for coupons and discounts.

3. Indulge your sweet tooth

Can you imagine any festival, when you visited your relative’s place and they did not offer you a plateful of mithai, and said, “Arre, kuch meetha ho jaye!” Guess not. That’s the thing with Indian festivals, they are incomplete without sweets – kaju katli, laddoos, kalakand, kheer, rasmalai, gulab jamuns or even a piece of cake. If you are watching your weight, control your portions by all means, but it doesn’t mean that you cannot indulge a little bit.

4. Light up a thousand diyas or candles

Try looking at the flame of an oil lamp for a few minutes, and you will feel a deep sense of calm and peace. Now imagine how you feel when you have diyas in all corners of your house. It not just looks beautiful, you also feel festive and glowing!

5. Clean up your house

Yes, Diwali is also synonymous with spring cleaning. All those cobwebs that you saw but conveniently ignored need to be cleared. Like now! Hope you know that goddess Laxmi does not visit a dirty house.

6. Play a game or two

In Diwali season, cards are counted as a legitimate sport – teen patti, flash or just taash, call it by any name, it does involve all-nighters with family and friends, truckloads of laughers and lots of food also. Truly festive!

7. Dress up

On any other day, you would probably be seen in your sweats or in western wear. But the easiest thing to do to *really* get into the Diwali mood is to wear a salwar kameez or a saree. Menfolk, a simple kurta can make you look dapper in a jiffy. So don’t hold back, just go ethnic. Once everyone is ready, click a selfie.

8. Make time for family

The family that celebrates together, stays together. We just love the Kapoor family pic here, time to create your own gorgeous memory!

9. Have a green Diwali

We are not activists here, but we do love clean, fresh air and a green neighbourhood. This time, try to avoid firecrackers if you can. This way you won’t wake up to a smog-filled morning the day after. And your pets will thank you, like how! In case you must, try to restrict yourself to one packet of phuljhadis. No rockets or hazaar ki ladis, please!

10. Do not think of work

Pssst... we hope our bosses are not reading this, but seriously, Diwali is the time to zone out and relax a bit. Reconnect with cousins with whom you haven’t spoken with in a long time, spend time with your parents, pamper your siblings. This is the time to take a break from technology – don’t WhatsApp your friends, call them! Don’t check your email every five minutes, make a quick rangoli.

And that’s it! Have a very very Happy Diwali... from team mydala!