How to celebrate and honor Diwali at work this November

Diwali is a significant holiday in India that celebrates light in the darkness. While the largest and most extravagant Diwali festivities occur in India, you can honor the holiday in your workplace. There are many ways to honor Diwali at work, including participating in organized activities and sharing food and company with the people around you. 

Whether you've never celebrated Diwali or look forward to it every year, you can benefit from knowing how to bring this beautiful holiday into the workplace so everyone can enjoy it. Let's take a look at a few ideas for how to celebrate Diwali at work.

What is Diwali?

Diwali, also known as the festival of lights, is an annual celebration in India. While the exact date of Diwali changes each year, it always lasts for five days. The holiday's name comes from a Sanskrit word that translates to "row of lights." This is why people who celebrate Diwali display candles and clay lamps throughout their homes and communities during this special time. While the largest Diwali celebrations happen in India, people worldwide find ways to honor this beautiful holiday.

The aim of Diwali is to celebrate the victory of light over darkness and take time to be grateful for all the good that occurs among the bad. Diwali also symbolizes enlightenment, highlighting the gift of knowledge that can make all the difference between intelligence and ignorance. Another key theme of this holiday is the notion of good versus evil, as Diwali marks the triumph of good over evil in everyday life.

How to celebrate Diwali at work

Here are a few ideas you can use to honor Diwali in the workplace:

Light candles

One of the easiest ways to celebrate Diwali at work is to light candles in honor of the holiday. Households all over India light candles and lamps during the entirety of Diwali, but you can take part in this long-standing tradition by designating even a single day to this activity. If you work inside and want to be cautious about fire safety, you can use electric candles that use light bulbs instead of open flames. If you want to add even more color and creativity to your celebration, ask employees to decorate their candles in bright colors.

For example, you might provide candles for all the employees in the workplace and ask them to light theirs at a specific time, creating a beautiful and illuminating display within your office. Ask everyone to think about ways the good overcomes the bad in their lives when lighting their candle to keep in the spirit of Diwali. You may also suggest participants share their reasons for lighting their candles to promote employee engagement and the sharing of joy and support that Diwali emphasizes.

Have a potluck

One of the most important aspects of celebrating Diwali is preparing special food. Families in India often take extra care cooking special meals, such as biryani, aloo tikki, and gulab jamun, to pay respect to the sacredness of the holiday and provide delicious meals to enjoy during the celebrations. To take part in this tradition in the workplace, you could schedule a potluck meal where everyone brings in a special dish of their choosing. You might even offer a few traditional Indian food options for everyone to try, especially if people in your workplace aren't familiar with the cuisine.

When you schedule your potluck, consider organizing a few activities to do during the meal. For example, consider lighting candles or creating decorations while everyone enjoys the food.

"The aim of Diwali is to celebrate the victory of light over darkness and take time to be grateful for all the good that occurs among the bad."

Make rangolis

A rangoli is a traditional form of Indian art that uses brightly colored sand to make intricate designs on a flat surface. During Diwali, it's customary for people to make rangolis using a combination of bright and deep colors, showcasing the contrast of light and darkness. While many traditional rangoli designs are highly detailed and complex, with many having longstanding significance within designers' families, you don't have to be a professional artist to create one. All you need is a flat surface, a collection of colorful powders, and something to draw with.

To ensure everyone in the workplace can participate, designate a specific time of the day for people to create their rangolis. Then instruct participants to outline a design on paper. Once they finish their outlines, everyone can fill in their sketches with colorful powders to craft a vibrant, dynamic piece. You can use almost anything for the pigments, including ground chalk, flower petals, and spices, such as chili and turmeric. When the rangolis are done, provide a display space so everyone in the workplace can share and admire them.

Attend a fireworks display

Many families celebrate Diwali by viewing or setting off fireworks. This is because fireworks can be a perfect symbol of everything Diwali stands for, as they create bright lights illuminating the deep darkness of the night sky. If your workplace has the ability and space to put on its own fireworks show safely, this can be a great way to honor the festival of lights. 

Even if you don't have space to create your own fireworks display, you can look for public fireworks shows online. Find an event that takes place near enough to your workplace that everyone has the option to attend. You might even organize a carpool so that everyone can attend the fireworks show together, further emphasizing the community within your workplace.

Wear bright clothing

Since Diwali celebrates the brightness we can find within the darkness of the world, one way to take part in the holiday is to wear bright and colorful clothing. This pays respect to the festival's traditions and allows people to showcase their creativity and personality through their outfits. To host this activity at work, designate a specific day, or even the entire week of Diwali, when people can wear bright colors to honor the holiday.

To add another layer to the activity, ask different departments to wear a specific color. This honors the tradition of families in India wearing matching outfits during Diwali. It also highlights the connections and bonds within the workplace, as everyone can identify fellow members of their teams within the sea of color.

These are just a few ways to honor the Diwali holiday at work. Try one or more of these activities to invite everyone in the workplace to celebrate the festival of lights and honor the light among the darkness. Whether you celebrate with food, colorful decorations, or gratitude exercises, you can pay tribute to one of India's most famous holidays. Regardless of your culture or identity, you can participate in Diwali celebrations and have a great time with your coworkers, building camaraderie and fostering positive engagement throughout the workplace.

More tips for workplace celebrations

To prepare for your Diwali celebrations, review party-time etiquette for office celebrations.

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