Diwali is the shining light in the middle of India's jam-packed festival calendar, but the Festival of Lights is not just celebrated on the subcontinent.

Diwali celebrations occur across the globe from the Caribbean island of Trinidad to the cold Canadian province of Quebec.

This year, Diwali is an official holiday in India, Fiji, Guyana, Myanmar, Trinidad and Tobago, Mauritius, Malaysia, Singapore, and Sri Lanka.

While the customs and traditions vary slightly in each geographical location, one thing remains the same: Diwali is about joy, happiness and peace for all.

Broadly speaking, Diwali is India's Festival of Lights and a joyous celebration that honors the triumph of good over evil.

Diwali occurs on the new moon and lasts for five full days. The festival takes place on the propitious dates during the end of Ashvin and the start of Kartika -- the Hindu lunar calendar months that equate to the Gregorian months of October and November.

Over the years, Diwali has come to symbolize a change of season and a change of mood.

While Diwali is predominantly celebrated by Hindus, Sikhs and Jains also embrace the holiday. Each religion has a different take.

For Sikhs, Diwali denotes the release of Guru Hargobind -- the sixth of Sikhism's 10 gurus -- along with 52 others who were detained in the Gwalior Fort by the Mughal emperor Jehangir.

For Jains, Diwali denotes the attainment of moksha -- the liberation from the cycle of life and death -- by Mahavira, the 6th century BC founder of Jainism's main tenants.

For Hindus, Diwali is inextricably tied to Lord Rama's victory over the powerful demon Ravana and his triumphant return from exile. In order to make Lord Rama's return as swift and safe as possible, his subjects lit the way with thousands of earthen lamps.

Here's a look at Diwali celebrations around the world:

A girls shoots bubbles from a gun during the start of Diwali celebrations in Leicester
A girls shoots bubbles from a gun during the start of Diwali celebrations in Leicester, central England. Diwali celebrations in Leicester are one of the biggest outside of India, with up to 35,000 people attending the switch on of the lights in the heart of the city's Asian community. REUTERS
Diwali Around the World
A Hindu priest makes a blessing during the festival of Diwali at Shivm Kovi temple in Colombo October 26, 2011. Prayers and offerings are made to Hindu deities on the occasion of Diwali, the annual festival of lights. REUTERS
Diwali Around the World
Hindu devotees pray during the festival of Diwali at Shivm Kovi temple in Colombo October 26, 2011. Prayers and offerings are made to Hindu deities on the occasion of Diwali, the annual festival of lights. REUTERS
Diwali Around the World
Poonam, 20, raises a lit flare outside her family home in celebration of the Diwali festival in Karachi October 26, 2011. Prayers and offerings are made to Hindu deities on the occasion of Diwali, the annual festival of lights. REUTERS
Diwali Around the World
Canada's Prime Minister Stephen Harper (R) lights a lamp before the start of celebrations ahead of Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, in Gatineau, Quebec October 20, 2011. REUTERS
Diwali Trinidad
A woman and her children walk past lighted deyas, or earthen oil lamps, during Diwali celebrations in Felicity, central Trinidad October 26, 2011. Hindus decorate their homes and places of worship with lamps or candles as a symbol of the victory of good over evil during Diwali, the festival of light. REUTERS
Diwali Trinidad
A woman places a deya, or earthen oil lamp, on a bamboo pole during Diwali celebrations in Felicity, central Trinidad October 26, 2011. Hindus decorate their homes and places of worship with lamps or candles as a symbol of the victory of good over evil during Diwali, the festival of light. REUTERS
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