When Is Diwali?

Diwali 2026 falls on Sunday 8 November 2026. The five-day festival runs from Friday 6 November (Dhanteras) through to Tuesday 10 November (Bhai Dooj), with the main Diwali night, Lakshmi Puja, on the third day. The exact date shifts each year because Diwali is set by the Hindu lunisolar calendar, not the Gregorian one.

In 2027 Diwali falls on Friday 29 October. The festival is always on the Amavasya (new moon) of the month of Kartika, which puts it somewhere between mid-October and mid-November. Deepavali (the longer Sanskrit name) is the same festival; Diwali is the contracted, more commonly used Hindi form.

Day 1 is Dhanteras, when families clean the house and buy something gold or silver as a symbol of prosperity. Day 2 is Naraka Chaturdasi (or 'Choti Diwali'), with smaller-scale lights and the symbolic defeat of the demon Narakasura. Day 3 is the main Diwali night, with elaborate diyas (oil lamps), rangoli patterns at the door, fireworks, family meals, and the Lakshmi Puja prayer to the goddess of wealth.

Day 4 is Govardhan Puja or Annakut, marking Krishna lifting Mount Govardhan to shelter villagers from rain. Day 5 is Bhai Dooj, when sisters perform a tilak ceremony for their brothers and exchange gifts. Outside South Asia, most diaspora communities focus on Day 3, with the other days observed less elaborately.

The name Diwali comes from the Sanskrit 'Deepavali', meaning 'row of lamps'. The festival celebrates the return of Lord Rama to Ayodhya after defeating the demon king Ravana, symbolised by the city lighting rows of oil lamps to guide him home. The deeper symbolism is the victory of light over darkness, knowledge over ignorance, and good over evil.

Modern celebrations use a mix of traditional clay diyas, candles, and electric fairy lights. Rangoli patterns (intricate floor designs in coloured rice, sand, or chalk) are drawn at the door to welcome Lakshmi. Fireworks have become an issue in cities like Delhi where air quality crashes after Diwali night; the UK observance is typically quieter, with public displays in cities like Leicester (which hosts one of the largest celebrations outside India).

If you're invited to a Diwali celebration, bring sweets (mithai) or a small wrapped gift; flowers and chocolates are also fine. Avoid leather items as a gift (Lakshmi is associated with cows). Wear bright colours; black and white are considered inauspicious for the festival. Take your shoes off at the door, as you would for any Hindu home occasion.

If you want to mark it at home, lighting a few diyas at the front door at sunset is the simplest gesture. Saying 'Happy Diwali' or 'Subh Deepavali' is welcome from anyone. Use the [When Is Ramadan](/when-is-ramadan) tool to check whether Diwali overlaps with Ramadan in any given year (it sometimes does, and many cities run joint multifaith events in those years).