Friday morning, November 1 at 8:47 am EDT: This will be the new moon, when the moon passes between the Earth and the Sun and will not be visible from Earth. This new moon is considered the darkest night of the Hindu lunisolar calendar. Diwali or Diwali, also known as Dipawali or Deepavali, is an important five- or six-day festival of lights around this new moon, celebrated by Hindus and other religions including Jains, Sikhs and Newar Buddhists. The name comes from the row (avali) clay lamps (deepa) that the celebrants light to symbolize the inner light that protects against spiritual darkness. Lakshmi Puja or Kali Puja, in honor of the goddess of prosperity, Lakshmi, is the central day of the festival (November 1 this year). It is a public holiday in many countries with large Hindu, Sikh and/or Jain populations, including Fiji, Guyana, India, Malaysia, Mauritius, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago.