GENEVA – Students at Heartland Elementary School in Geneva are exploring different cultures this week by celebrating one of India's most important holidays.

Liza Jain, the mother of first-grade student Aashika Jain, volunteered to showcase the different elements of Diwali – a five-day holiday that celebrates India's new year. Dancing, music, fireworks and traditional foods and decor are staples of the holiday, otherwise known as the Festival of Lights.

She said the holiday falls at different times each year because it's based on a lunar calendar and depends on the time the sun and moon rise and set. Diwali starts Sunday this year.