When is Diwali?
Diwali 2026 is on Sunday, November 8, 2026.
Dates follow the Hindu calendar for New Delhi, India. In North America some festivals are kept one day earlier because of the time difference; check with your temple.
The Festival of Lights, the biggest Hindu festival of the year, also celebrated by Sikhs and Jains. Families light oil lamps (diyas), make rangoli patterns, pray to Lakshmi, share sweets and set off fireworks.
How the date is set: The new moon of Kartika (October or November).
The date in other years
Ideas for the day
A short history
Dipavali (IAST: Dīpāvalī), commonly known as Diwali (), is the Hindu festival of lights, with variations celebrated in other Indian religions such as Jainism and Sikhism. It symbolises the spiritual victory of Dharma over Adharma, light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance. Diwali is celebrated during the Hindu lunisolar months of Ashvin (according to the amanta tradition) and Kārtika – between around mid-October and mid-November. The celebrations generally last five or six days.
From Wikipedia’s article Diwali, by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Related days
Sources
- Drik Panchang festival calendar (New Delhi) Dates
- Wikipedia: Diwali Short history (CC BY-SA 4.0)