Malaika Arora and Arbaaz Khan
"This year is a bonus -- there will be a dual celebration in our house," smiles Malaika Arora Khan.
Both Malaika and Arbaaz are looking forward to spending both festivals with their families.
Malaika’s mother is a Malayalee Catholic and her father is a Punjabi. Every year, they have a small Lakshmi Puja on Diwali.
Her husband Arbaaz is, of course, keeping his rozas (fasts) religiously. The family gets together in the evenings to break the fast with him.
"Be it Deepavali, Eid or Christmas -- every festival is celebrated in our house with the same fanfare and gusto. We are very family-centric. For us, it is just an excuse to get together and celebrate the essence of the festival, overlooking religious connotations," states Malaika.
While the normal preparations of spring cleaning, festive shopping for knick-knacks, crackers, mithai and diyas are on, Malaika also believes festivals are the perfect occasion for a family reunion and a celebration of these special moments with loved ones.
It is all about celebrating the spirit of the festival.
Malaika says, "I look forward to lighting crackers on Diwali with the same enthusiasm that I look forward to relishing kheer and biryani on Eid."
She adds, "It is all about family bonding and doing things together. That is the beauty of our culture."
