For daily wit & wisdom, sign up for the Almanac newsletter.
No content available.
Body
Diwali is the Indian “festival of lights”—celebrating the triumph of good over evil. In 2024, Diwali is celebrated on November 1. Learn more about Diwali traditions, including special Indian foods and sweets.
What Is Diwali?
Diwali (also called Divali or Deepavali) is a “festival of lights” that celebrates the triumph of light over dark, good over evil, and the blessings of victory, freedom, and enlightenment. The name comes from Sanksrit dipavali, meaning “row of lights.” On the night of Diwali, celebrants light dozens of candles and clay lamps (called diyas), placing them throughout their homes and in the streets to light up the night.
In most of India, Diwali consists of a five-day celebration that peaks on the third day with the main celebration of Diwali. In other places where Diwali occurs, only the main day is usually celebrated.
A specially-made clay lamp, called a diya, lit for Diwali.
Who Celebrates Diwali?
Followers of the Hindu, Sikh, and Jain faiths primarily celebrate Diwali. However, the holiday is celebrated throughout India, Singapore, and several other South Asian countries as a national holiday, meaning that people outside these religions may participate in Diwali celebrations, too. Hindu, Sikh, and Jain communities in the United Kingdom, United States, Australia, and elsewhere around the globe also regularly celebrate Diwali.
When Is Diwali?
Diwali occurs annually in autumn (or spring, in the southern hemisphere) during the Hindu month of Kartik. (In Western terms, Karti begins around mid-October and ends in mid-November.) Specifically, Diwali occurs on the darkest day of the lunar month, the day of the new Moon.
Diwali Dates
Year
Date of Diwali
2024
Friday, November 1
2025
Monday, October 20
2026
Sunday, November 8
2027
Friday, October 29
Diwali Traditions and Customs
Because Diwali is celebrated by so many people worldwide, traditions are diverse, though there are a few common themes, including lighting candles and gathering families.
The main celebration of Diwali takes place on the day of the new Moon when the sky is at its darkest, so a big part of the celebration revolves around light. Candles, clay lamps, and oil lanterns are lit and placed throughout the home, in the streets, in areas of worship, and floated on lakes and rivers. Fireworks are also set off on the night of Diwali—said by some to ward off evil spirits.
Another central theme of Diwali is family. Wearing their best new clothes, families gather together to eat sweets and other special foods, light diyas (decorative oil lamps), and pray for their ancestors. Businesses are generally closed (or close early) on Diwali to allow workers to celebrate with their families.
The feast can be quite extravagant, with special dishes and sweets filling the table. In honor of Diwali, here are a few Indian-inspired recipes to try:
In much of India, Diwali consists of five days of celebrations rather than just one.
On the first day, Indians will clean their homes and create intricate rangoli—designs made of colored rice, sand, or flowers created on the floor of the house.
The second day is spent preparing or buying special food (especially sweets, called mithai), as well as praying for the spirits of ancestors in the afterlife.
On the third day—the main day of Diwali—families gather and celebrate by lighting lanterns and candles in their homes and in the streets and by shooting off fireworks! (In southern India, the second day is the main day of celebration instead of the third.)
Traditions of the fourth day vary, but a common theme is the bond between husband and wife, so husbands often buy their spouses gifts to celebrate.
The fifth day focuses on the bond between siblings, specifically between brother and sister.
A rangoli made of flowers.
Do you celebrate Diwali? What traditions do you follow for the holiday? Let us know in the comments below—and Happy Diwali to those who celebrate!
Chris is an avid gardener, maintaining a small vegetable garden for himself and his family, a variety of ornamental flowers and shrubs, and a diverse collection of houseplants. Read More from Christopher Burnett
Happy Divali and all other autumn and winter holidays religious or secular. Please don't bicker. This attitude is what leads to things like the war in Israel/Palestine. The only way forward is love and respect. I think the author did a marvelous job writing about a holiday that wasn't theirs. Had they tried to include the religious aspect of Divali, admit it, someone, probably those who complained here, would have complained it was wrong. This is not in the spirit of any of our holidays. Love, light and peace.:)
Thank you for a well written, factual article on Diwali. Growing up I called Diwali Deepavali. It was a time to look forward to fireworks, sweets and families getting together.
It is a time to exchange gifts, meet and greet old and new friends and family and celebrate another year of success and wish everyone for a future year of prosperity, peace, penance, perseverance and patience.
We recently moved to an area with a dense Indian population and we learned about Diwali for the first time. We and our kids love it. It’s provided a great teaching opportunity for our kids. The neighborhoods are so beautifully decorated and the concept and idea behind Diwali is so uplifting and transcends culture.
Inability to mention religious context shows your bias and fear of backlash. Would you write an article on Christmas without any mention of its religious context? A student doing that in high school would probably fail.