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October 24, 2022 Diwali – an important Indian festival featuring lights, fireworks, gifts and feasts – begins.
Diwali, also known as Diwali or Deepavali, is one of the major festivals in India and is celebrated by Hindus, Sikhs, Jains and Buddhists. It is a festival of lights that symbolizes the victory of light over darkness and is usually celebrated for five days.
Diwali also marks the beginning, so the preparations and gifts to celebrate this festival will give them a New Year’s feel. Diwali is a time to wear your best clothes, gather with friends and family and exchange gifts, lights, fireworks and colorful diyas (oil lamps made of clay representing enlightenment, knowledge and wisdom) are an important part of the celebration .
Traditional gifts usually include nuts and candies, as well as any gold. Gold jewelry and coins are welcome gifts, but anything made of gold, including especially anything that makes the recipient’s New Year’s year more prosperous and successful, fits the bill.
Diyas are little lamps of kindness and purity, lit on Diwali to drive away the darkness and welcome the light. Traditional diyas are lit using ghee, but in modern times, tea lamps are used as diyas for Diwali celebrations.
Kulture Khazana was founded by Akruti Babaria to share cultural stories with her family after her son was born. She has developed a line of products to help families make heritage and culture accessible and shared, including what she calls the Diwali Party this Diwali Celebration Kit!
Barbaria created this rangoli puzzle because, she explained, “this product was born out of my need to create rangolis for the festival, but the house and weather were not conducive to traditional rangoli powder.”
For those looking for a religious Diwali gift, this handcrafted Bhagwan is a versatile charm that can be displayed on a car or backpack, or used as a gift tag.
Our place, the makers of the super stylish Always Pan, has created a Diwali collection, including this frying set. The frying set includes a perforated skimming scoop by Lekha and a decorative wire cooling rack by Manjit Thapp, as well as two clay diyas.
Gazal Kothari’s interest in handcrafted jewelry led her to start her own fashion jewelry collection called Hyperbole Accessories, which includes jewels like these hand-painted pink lotus earrings by artisans in India.
Written by journalist and activist Raakhee Mirchandani, the book shares Diwali traditions through the eyes of a little girl named Devi. A captivating holiday tale of a girl’s family celebrating Diwali traditions with their loved ones.
If you’re looking for a way to keep the kids busy at your family Diwali party, check out this set of bingo games for the Festival of Lights. This classic game has been redesigned for the festival with Happy Diwali playing cards and related words instead of numbers.
Natural, cleansing and botanical formulas like these were the main ingredients in Ayurvedic skincare regimens thousands of years ago. With every purchase, Soma Ayurvedic donates a set of school supplies to deserving children in the orphanage and a set of hygiene kits to women who do not have access to these essentials.
Created by 1st generation Indian-American Michelle Ranavat, an award-winning light and brightening facial serum for all skin types.
Tea is a staple in Indian homes, and this colorful latte tea set makes for a fun traditional gift of tea, perfect for Diwali, with an emphasis on color.
Since gold is associated with Diwali, choosing a gold theme is an easy way to choose a gift. We love this black and gold personalized water bottle.
Fire is another way to incorporate gold and lights into modern Diwali celebrations, like this bronze cast iron fire bowl.
These flame changers are a fun way to add extra flair to a bonfire night and make a party feel more festive – perfect for Diwali!
Nuts are a traditional gift for Diwali, so finding items that compliment or elevate serving and eating nuts is a surprising way to gift. We love this pistachio server that is both stylish and functional.
A journal is a great gift for any occasion, and we love this golden blank journal for jotting down New Year’s goals and wishes.
If you’re going to a Diwali party, wrapping homemade (or store-bought, we won’t say) sweets in pretty golden bowls is a great way to elevate the gift of food.
Sweets are big business at any time of the year, but especially so during Diwali. Laddu or laddoo are balls made of flour, sugar, ghee, and sometimes nuts or dried fruit. They are also very tasty.
For those familiar with the kitchen, homemade sweets are a great way to gift Diwali. Available in three sizes, these candy boxes are available in red, green, pink, cream or maroon and feature a window glass on the lid so recipients can see what they’re getting.
Talk about ice cream parties. From Malai Ice Cream, an eggless ice cream shop in New York City, this Diwali celebration pack is filled with flavors inspired by the founder’s childhood. Snacks include cardamom-flavored ice cream, carrot hava ice cream cake, and even some masala chai ice cream sandwiches.
Indian sweets like laddus, jalebis and burfi are traditional choices, but any candy is an acceptable Diwali gift. This gift box comes with 36 dark, milk and white chocolate bars and fillings include ganache, pralines, caramel and even some crunchy nuts, which is also a Diwali tradition.
Harry and David $54.99
Like sweets, nuts are a staple of Diwali celebrations, and they make great gifts – especially for a host or hostess. This gift set includes 4 ounces each of toasted almonds, pistachios, large cashews, pecans and mixed nuts bundled in a reusable wooden box.
The Spiced Nut Sampler is a great gift idea for someone who loves spicy food. This gift set includes BBQ peanuts, buffalo hot peanuts, various flavored mixed nuts, honey sriracha almonds, sweet and spicy snack mix and traditional mixed nuts.
Shipped directly from India, this handcrafted golden spice box comes with seven small bowls and a spoon for scooping. Although it looks like solid gold, it is actually made of brass, which makes it more durable.
Gold bangles are a must in Indian women’s accessories wardrobe. Engraved and set with small stones, this set of six gold-plated bracelets can be worn together or on their own.
While gold gifts are traditional, there are plenty of ways to defy tradition when choosing a Diwali gift, like these Stan Smiths with gold accents.
Another fun way to incorporate a gold theme into gift giving is to choose gold items for the family. Perfect for the aspiring home bartender, this ultra-luxurious 10-piece bar tool set features a bamboo stand to hold all the parts when not in use.
Candles are a great gift for any occasion, and Diwali is no exception – it’s a festival of lights after all! This golden decorative candle is available in three sizes and scents: Gold-plated cinnamon small candle with 60 hours burn time; large white fir and grapefruit scented candle with 65 hours burn time; citrus and cypress scented extra large candle with 105 hours burn time .
When it comes to thoughtful gift giving, we love the “add-on” gift—a little thing you wouldn’t normally buy for yourself that adds value to your gift. This set of three golden candle accessories includes a candle wick trimmer, a candle scoop and a candle snuffer.
Lighting small candles and tea lights is a popular way to decorate your home during Diwali. This set of floating candles decorated with henna is a lovely hostess gift for anyone who is having a Diwali feast or party.
Kitchen scissors are a very useful item, but a little practical to give as a gift—unless you opt for a luxurious style to elevate your look. These gold-handled kitchen scissors fit the bill perfectly. Check out more of our favorite practical gifts here.