1 of 7 | President Donald Trump lights a diya during a Diwali celebration in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday. Photo by Allison Robbert/UPI | License Photo
Oct. 21 (UPI) — President Donald Trump celebrated the triumph of good over evil during the Diwali festival of lights celebration at the White House Oval Office on Tuesday afternoon.
Diwali is a symbolic celebration of the triumph of good over evil held in either October or November by Hindus and others in India and elsewhere, with lights representing good triumphing over evil, which is represented by darkness, according to The New York Times.
The president sent his best wishes to those celebrating Diwali on Tuesday morning.
“Diwali is a timeless reminder of light’s victory over darkness,” Trump said in a prepared statement.
“It is also a time to bring families and friends together to celebrate community, draw strength from hope and embrace a lasting spirit of renewal,” he continued.
“As millions of citizens light diyas and lanterns, we rejoice in the eternal truth that good will always triumph over evil,” he added.
“May this observance bring abiding serenity, prosperity, hope and peace.”
Members of the Indian-American community, senior officials and diplomats attended the White House event, which included a traditional lighting of a lamp, Diwali performances and the sampling of traditional Indian sweets, the Hindustan Times reported.
President Joe Biden similarly presided over Diwali celebrations at the White House.
Last year’s event featured a message from U.S. astronaut Sunita “Suni” Williams from the International Space Station.
Williams sent her best wishes while awaiting a return to Earth after she and astronaut Butch Wilmore stayed at the ISS for several months due to technical problems with their test flight of the Boeing Starliner.
