Diwali 2026: Date, Meaning & Shopping List

Diwali 2026 falls on Sunday, 8 November. Lakshmi Puja is that evening, and the five days of the festival start with Dhanteras on Friday, 6 November.

If you're celebrating in Germany this year, this page covers the dates and the last days to order so everything arrives in time, plus a shopping list. A Sunday Diwali helps, for once. No leaving the office early to make it home for puja.

Diwali 2026 dates: the five days

Dhanteras: Friday, 6 November
Naraka Chaturdashi (Choti Diwali): Sunday, 8 November in most calendars; some list Saturday, 7 November
Lakshmi Puja / Diwali: Sunday, 8 November
Govardhan Puja: Monday, 9 November
Bhai Dooj: Tuesday, 10 November (Berlin calendar); some calendars say Wednesday, 11 November

Regional calendars differ, mostly on the days after Diwali. Drik Panchang's Diwali calendar for Berlin puts Govardhan Puja on Monday the 9th and Bhai Dooj on Tuesday the 10th; other calendars, such as timeanddate, put Bhai Dooj on Wednesday the 11th. Both put Naraka Chaturdashi on the same Sunday as Lakshmi Puja, though plenty of families mark Choti Diwali (Kali Chaudas) on the Saturday. If your family follows a particular panchang or temple, go with theirs.

Order by: when to order for Diwali

Rest of Germany: order by Wednesday, 4 November. Parcels go out with Hermes/GLS and take 1–3 business days.

Berlin: order by Thursday, 5 November. Our own drivers/GLS deliver 0-2 days.

Free delivery from €40, €4.99 below that. Same price everywhere in Germany.

If you're sending a box of sweets to friends in another city, the Wednesday cutoff applies to them too.

What is Diwali?

You probably know this part. It's here for the friend who asked you about it last week.

Diwali (Deepavali) is the festival of lights, celebrated by Hindus and also by Sikhs and Jains. The main night is Amavasya, the new moon. Families light diyas at the door and in the windows, draw rangoli at the entrance, and do Lakshmi Puja in the evening. Then come the sweets, which get shared with neighbours and anyone who drops by.

The story behind it depends on where you grew up. In much of North India it's Rama's return to Ayodhya. In the South, Naraka Chaturdashi is the big morning, marking Krishna's victory over Narakasura, and it starts before sunrise with an oil bath. Dhanteras is the day for buying something new, often gold, silver or a steel vessel for the kitchen.

Diwali at our store, growing up

When I was a kid, Diwali didn't start on the day. It started after Dussehra, about three weeks earlier.

That's when we began the Diwali stock-up sale at my dad's store. We packed boxes of sweets for our customers every evening for 3 days up to Diwali. As we got closer to Diwali, we cleaned the store from top to bottom and decorated it.

On the evening of Diwali we did Lakshmi Puja at the store. Then we went outside for the fireworks. Every store on the street had done the same preparation, so for a couple of hours the whole street was out together.

That's the Diwali I know: a shop getting ready for it. It's why a stock-up sale and a box of sweets for every customer still feels like the right way to start the festival.

Our Diwali sale

The stock-up sale was how we got ready for Diwali back then, so we're running one this year, from Berlin.

From 25 October to 10 November, a lot of what we stock is on offer: sweets, namkeen, every day essentials. The price on each product page is the price you pay. Stock up for the festival and for the weeks after.

Order for €50 or more and we'll add a snack pack and a small Diwali extra, as our thank-you. Until Tuesday, 10 November, while stocks last (selection may vary).

Free delivery from €40 still applies, so a €50 order gets both.

Diwali in Germany: celebrating far from home

Diwali in Berlin or Munich looks different. There's no street full of shops doing the same thing. Your parents aren't down the road. The neighbours don't know why you're lighting candles on the balcony.

What carries over is the food and the people. Most of us end up hosting a small puja with friends, calling home on video before the evening gets going, and handing out sweet boxes at work on Monday. Bring enough for the whole floor. Someone always comes back for a second piece.

Diwali shopping list

I checked stock on 21 October. Diwali stock moves fast, so the product pages show what's left right now.

Sweets to share

Bambino Soan Papdi 400g. The flaky square everyone has had in a Diwali box at least once. Good for office boxes.
Bambino Soan Papdi Badam 250g, the almond version.
Bambino Besan Ladoo 250g. Ready to put on the plate.

For making sweets at home

GITS Gulab Jamun Mix 200g. For warm jamuns at home. Our gulab jamun recipe walks you through it.
Ghee: Ayurveda Ghee 420g or Dairy Valley Ghee 277g
TRS Gram Flour (besan) 1kg
TRS Green Cardamom 50g
Aayush Jaggery Powder 450g, for anyone who sweetens with gur
Bambino Vermicelli 500g, for payasam or kheer

Namkeen for guests

People will come over. Something salty next to the sweets keeps the plate balanced.

Cooking a proper meal for the evening too? Chole or a paneer sabzi is the usual move, and our garam masala guide covers when to add it so the dish doesn't taste of cloves and nothing else.

For the puja

Aayush Laxmi Pooja Kit
Aayush Kumkum 50g
Aastha agarbathi, jasmine or loban
Aayush Diya Vaat, long cotton wicks. Wicks only. Bring out the diyas you've been keeping since last year.

No diyas left from last year? We also stock clay Diwali diyas in a set of 4, so the windowsill can look the way it did at home.

Diwali recipe ideas

Gulab jamun from a mix. The GITS mix takes most of the guesswork out. The tricky part is frying slowly enough that the middle cooks before the outside browns. Our gulab jamun recipe has the timings.
Semiya payasam. Vermicelli roasted in ghee, simmered in milk, finished with cardamom. Quick, and it feeds a crowd. Here's our semiya payasam recipe.
Besan ladoo. Roast besan in ghee on low heat until it smells nutty and turns a shade darker, then mix in sugar and cardamom and roll while it's still warm. The roasting takes patience, so don't turn the heat up to rush it.

Diwali 2026: quick answers

When is Diwali 2026? Diwali 2026 is on Sunday, 8 November, with Lakshmi Puja that evening. The festival starts with Dhanteras on Friday, 6 November. Govardhan Puja follows on Monday, 9 November, and Bhai Dooj on Tuesday, 10 November (some calendars say the 11th).

What do you eat at Diwali? Sweets come first: ladoo, soan papdi, gulab jamun, barfi and payasam or kheer, plus namkeen like mixture, murukku and bhujia for guests. What ends up on the table depends on your region and family.

Where can I buy Diwali sweets in Germany? At aahaar.de you can order soan papdi, besan ladoo and gulab jamun mix, along with ghee, besan and cardamom to make your own. Delivery covers all of Germany, free from €40.

When do I need to order so it arrives in time? Outside Berlin, order by Wednesday, 4 November (Hermes or GLS, 1–3 business days). In Berlin, order by Thursday, 5 November (our own drivers or GLS, 0–2 days).

Try these products

If you only grab three things: Bambino Soan Papdi 400g for sharing, the GITS Gulab Jamun Mix for the evening itself, and the Laxmi Pooja Kit for the puja. Everything else is on aahaar.de, delivered across Germany.

Happy Diwali from all of us at Aahaar.

Sandeep