ONE of Pavithran Ravichandran's best Deepavali memories was during one of the worst years in his life.
It was 2020, and Pavithran, then 15, spent most of the year fighting with his father, Ravichandran Subramaniam.
But on Deepavali that year, Pavithran decided to set things right.
"I sought his forgiveness, and we made amends, which brought us closer."
Ravichandran died of a heart attack just a month later.
"Since my father died, my mother and I don't celebrate Deepavali the same way, but we try to enjoy the time together, just the two of us."
These days, Pavithran and his mother, Sivaneswary Supramaniam, begin their Deepavali celebrations with prayers for Ravichan dran before making muruku and other delicacies together.
For Krishnan Narasiman, 65, Deepavali celebrations have come full circle.
"When I was a boy, my mother would give me oil baths," he said about his time growing up in Langkawi.
"It is a family tradition and we continue to follow it."
Krishnan said he used to give his children oil baths and now that they have children of their own, it is their turn to continue the tradition.
For Babita Rani, Deepavali is a time for big celebrations with the family.
She said her family has a unique tradition of gift-giving on the eve of the Festival of Light.
The following day, Babita will host an open house.
"Hosting an open house is compulsory. This year, we have 200 guests coming over on Deepavali night to celebrate at my house."
Malathi Karumanan's family celebrates the festivities with home-cooked food made with family recipes passed down through generations with her late grandmother 's chicken curry as the special dish.
"When cooking, we can share stories and laugh together, which creates a sense of togetherness."
Malathi said last year was the only time the family broke traditions to go for a holiday.
"My mum was quite sick last year and we thought it would be our last Deepavali with her. That's why we took her to Port Dickson because she likes the beach."
Sivakumar, from Subang Jaya, said he enjoys Deepavali because it is a time when everyone gets together.
"My fondest memories of Deepavali is when taking photos of the entire family as this doesn't happen every day," he said.