Today is Bhai Bij – the fifth and final day of the festival of Diwali and it celebrates the special bond between brothers and sisters. Traditionally sisters invite their brothers for a jamvanu (special meal) and blessings and gifts are exchanged.
For those who don’t have a brother, like myself, we do a little prayer to the moon. As Diwali falls at new moon, by Bhai Bij there is a very slight crescent moon visible (although at the moment it’s too cloudy for me to see anything!). The tradition of women treating the moon as a brother is why many kids call the moon Chandamama – as chanda means moon and mama means your mother’s brother.