Diwali - Festival of Lights

Diwali (also called Deepavali) is the most important festival in India. It is celebrated similarly to Christmas – lots of gift-giving, food, and family celebrations for five days. If you have any Indian clients or employees, you should consider marking this event.

The date of Diwali is determined by the lunar calendar, so this yearthe main day is on 11 November 2015. Time to start planning your marketing!

How Indians celebrate

The whole country stops everything for Diwali. Everyone buys new clothing and shops for gifts, including new jewelry for women. Retailers have their best sales at Diwali.

• Day 1: Give money and food to the poor. Arrange oil lamps around the house and at the entrance. Buy new household items, especially metal. 
• Day 2: Rest up for Diwali. Have a massage, using fragrant oils. Light up a few firecrackers at the end of the day. 
• Day 3 - Diwali: The main day of the five-day celebration. Every house is lit up, and families set off firecrackers for five or six hours at night. This is the last day of the Hindu financial year, when businesses close their books and start writing the new year’s books. It is a good day to start a new business venture and buy a new house. 
•  Day 4: New Year’s Day. They visit family members and business colleagues, giving them dried fruit and nuts, sweets, and other small gifts. This is the day when everyone wears their new clothing and new jewelry. This is the first day of the Hindu financial year. 
• Day 5: Brothers and sisters visit each other.

Corporate greetings and gifts

This would be a good time to send greetings to your Indian clients and colleagues. A Diwali card photo might be a night sky filled with fireworks. Inside the card, write a greeting such as: • Happy Diwali!

• Greetings at Diwali. 
• Wishing you a bright and colourful Diwali. 
• Wishing you a happy Diwali and a prosperous New Year. 
• Happy Diwali! Best wishes for health, prosperity, and joy.

If you wish to give something, we suggest nuts (cashews, pistachios, almonds, walnuts), dried fruit (dates, raisins, apricots, cherries, etc.), cookies and biscuits, chocolates, or various Indian sweets available from your local Indian bakery.

Indian business owners might give their employees gift cards and bonuses. They definitely give their employees a day off on Diwali.

Contact Multicultural Marketing and Management for your multicultural marketing needs.

Photo source: happydiwalifestival.com