Most calendars place Diwali 2026 on Sunday, November 8, the new moon night of the month of Kartika. Diwali is really a five-day festival, though, and each day has its own story and its own small rituals. If you are celebrating away from India, it helps to know what each day is for, so you can choose what fits your family and your work week.
A note on dates: Hindu festivals follow the lunar day (tithi), not the civil calendar, so a date can shift by a day between regions and between time zones. The dates below are the ones most widely published. Check with your local temple for puja timings in your city.
Friday, November 6: Dhanteras
Dhanteras opens the festival. Dhan means wealth, and teras refers to the thirteenth lunar day. Families clean the house, and many buy something of metal, often silver, gold or a new kitchen vessel, as a sign of good fortune. The day is also linked to Dhanvantari, the divine physician, which makes it a fitting moment to think about health as well as money.
Saturday, November 7: Naraka Chaturdashi
Often called Choti Diwali, this day remembers the defeat of the demon Narakasura by Krishna. In much of South India this is the heart of the festival: people rise before dawn, take an oil bath and wear new clothes. If your family follows that tradition, your main Deepavali morning may come before the North Indian main day, so check your regional calendar.
Sunday, November 8: Lakshmi Puja
This is the night most people mean when they say Diwali. Lamps go in windows and doorways, and families pray to Lakshmi, goddess of prosperity, usually with Ganesha, in the evening. In North India the night also recalls Rama’s return to Ayodhya after fourteen years of exile. In Bengal, the same night is Kali Puja. For Jains it marks the nirvana of Mahavira, and Sikhs celebrate Bandi Chhor Divas around the same time.
The evening puja need not be elaborate. A clean space, a lamp, flowers, a sweet offering and a few quiet minutes together are enough to begin with.
November 9 or 10: Govardhan Puja
Calendars differ on this day in 2026, so follow your temple. It recalls Krishna lifting Govardhan Hill to shelter the people of Vraja from a storm. Many temples prepare Annakut, a “mountain of food” of many dishes offered to the deity and then shared. In Gujarat, the day after Diwali also marks the new year.
Tuesday, November 10: Bhai Dooj
The festival closes with a day for brothers and sisters. A sister applies a tilak to her brother’s forehead and prays for his well-being, and he gives her a gift. Some calendars list this day as November 11. A video call works well for siblings living apart.
Celebrating in the US
With Diwali on a Sunday this year, the main evening is easier to keep than usual. Many temples and community groups hold events on the nearest weekend, so your local celebration may fall on a different day from the calendar date. That is normal, and no less meaningful.
If you live in an apartment, check your building’s rules on open flames and fireworks. LED diyas are a safe choice near curtains, and a bowl of water nearby is sensible if you use real lamps.
Whichever days you keep, the idea underneath them all is the same: light is lit deliberately, in the darkest part of the month.
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