You may have heard of Diwali or seen it on a calendar, but what do you know about this holiday? For many people in the United States, the name might be new or unfamiliar, but Diwali is actually celebrated by more than a billion people worldwide. That’s more than 12% of the entire population of the world!
To help you learn how and why Diwali, also known as the Festival of Lights, is celebrated, we put together a holiday guide for families:
What is Diwali?
Diwali (pronounced duh-va-lee) is the biggest festival in India. It’s also celebrated in Nepal, Malaysia, Fiji, and other countries with large South Asian communities, including the United States, which has almost 5.4 million South Asian citizens. Diwali is also a major religious festival for people of the Hindu, Sikh, and Jain faiths.
The name Diwali comes from the word “deepavali” in Sanskrit, the ancient language of India, and means “row of lights.” The festival symbolizes the triumph of light over darkness, knowledge over ignorance, and good over evil.
When is Diwali?
Diwali falls on a different day every year because it is determined by the Hindu calendar, which is based on the phases of the moon. The modern calendar used by most countries of the world, the Gregorian calendar, is a solar calendar based on Earth’s rotation around the Sun.
Diwali lasts for 5 days and takes place in the Hindu months of Ashvin and Kartik. It usually falls in late October and/or early November. In 2025, the main Diwali celebration is on October 20th.
What happens during the 5 days of Diwali?
Dhanteras
On the 1st day of Diwali, people typically purchase utensils and gold items for good luck. They also clean their homes in honor of Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and prosperity.
Naraka Chaturdashi or Choti Diwali
The 2nd day of Diwali commemorates when Krishna, a major Hindu deity, defeated the demon king Narakasura. People decorate their homes with rangolis, beautiful geometric patterns created on the floor using colorful powders and flowers. They also prepare sweets to exchange the next day. Popular Diwali sweets include ladoos and barfis.
Lakshmi Puja (main Diwali night)
This is the day most people think of as Diwali. It takes place on Amavasya Tithi, the day of the new moon. Families gather together to worship Lakshmi and light diyas (clay oil lamps) to drive away darkness and help Lakshmi find her way to their homes. People also enjoy feasts, exchange gifts and sweets, and set off fireworks.
Govardhan Puja or Annakut
The 4th day of Diwali is the 1st day of the new year in the Hindu calendar. It commemorates when Krishna lifted a mountain, Govardhan Hill, to protect a village from torrential rain sent in anger by Indra, the king of the gods.
Bhai Dooj
The 5th and final day of Diwali celebrates the bond between brothers and sisters. Sisters sometimes apply a tilak, or red mark, to their brothers’ foreheads and pray for their success and well-being, while brothers give gifts to their sisters.
What does Diwali celebrate?
Diwali is linked to multiple stories among various religions and communities, and we don’t know which came first or how long ago Diwali started. Most of these stories share the common theme of good triumphing over evil.
One of the most common legends associated with Diwali comes from the Hindu epic, the Ramayana. In this story, Prince Rama (an incarnation of the god Vishnu) and his wife Sita (an incarnation of the goddess Lakshmi) are exiled from their kingdom of Ayodhya for 14 years.
During the exile, Sita is kidnapped by the demon king Ravana, so Rama and his brother Lakshman set off on a quest to save her. They first travel to the kingdom of monkeys and befriend the monkey king Hanuman. Then, the monkeys form an army to help Rama rescue his wife.
Rama, his brother, and the army of monkeys travel to Ravana’s island kingdom of Lanka, defeat Ravana, and free Sita. Rama and Sita return home, with lights spread out across Ayodhya to welcome them and help them find their way back.
These lights are a symbol of Diwali and a celebration of light defeating darkness, just like Rama defeated Ravana. For some people, Diwali commemorates Rama and Sita’s triumphant return to their kingdom.
Though people from different religions and communities celebrate Diwali for different reasons, everyone can come together to share in the light and celebrate goodness over evil. Happy Diwali!
