Friday morning, November 1 at 8:47 a.m. EDT: This will be the new moon, when the moon will pass between the Earth and the sun and will no longer be visible from Earth. This new moon is considered the darkest night in the Hindu lunisolar calendar. Diwali or Diwali, also known as Deepawali or Deepavali, is an important five- or six-day festival of lights centered around this new moon, celebrated by Hindus and other religions including Jains, Sikhs and Newari Buddhists. The name comes from the row (avali) of clay lamps (deepa) celebrated to symbolize the inner light that protects against spiritual darkness. Lakshmi Puja or Kali Puja, in veneration of the goddess of prosperity, Lakshmi, is the central day of the festival (November 1 this year). It is a public holiday in several countries with significant Hindu, Sikh and/or Jain populations, including Fiji, Guyana, India, Malaysia, Mauritius, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago.