Hindu
Rama's ReturnCelebrates Lord Rama's return to Ayodhya after 14 years of exile and his victory over the demon king Ravana. Citizens lit oil lamps to guide him home — the original “row of lights”.
Ramayana
Victory of good
A festival of light · A workplace celebration
From all of us, to all of you — an invitation to discover the festival that lights up a billion hearts worldwide.
02 · The Meaning
years of history — an ancient festival celebrated each autumn with lights, sweets and family.
people celebrate worldwide — including communities across the UK every year.
Known as the “Festival of Lights”, Diwali takes its name from Deepavali — Sanskrit for “row of lamps”. Families light rows of clay oil lamps called diyas, symbolising the victory of light over darkness, knowledge over ignorance, and good over evil.
🪔 Each diya is a hand-made clay lamp filled with oil and a cotton wick.
Millions are lit together — turning entire cities gold.
03 · The History
Diwali is beautifully multi-faith. Across Hindu, Sikh and Jain communities the date is shared — yet each tradition brings its own story of light.
Celebrates Lord Rama's return to Ayodhya after 14 years of exile and his victory over the demon king Ravana. Citizens lit oil lamps to guide him home — the original “row of lights”.
Marks the release of Guru Hargobind Ji from Gwalior Fort in 1619 — and his refusal to leave until 52 imprisoned kings were freed with him. The Golden Temple is illuminated in celebration.
Commemorates the attainment of nirvana (moksha) by Lord Mahavira, the 24th Tirthankara, in 527 BCE — a moment of spiritual light that lamps still honour today.
✦ Also celebrated by Buddhists in some regions — one date, many meanings, one shared glow ✦
04 · The Sequence
Keep scrolling — walk through Diwali day by day.
Day of fortune
The festival opens with shopping for gold, silver and new utensils — a symbol of prosperity for the year ahead. Homes are cleaned and decorated from top to bottom.
Choti Diwali
Known as “Little Diwali”. Families bathe at dawn, light a few early lamps, and share the first sweets — celebrating the defeat of the demon Narakasura.
Diwali night
The heart of the festival. Homes glow with rows of diyas, families gather for prayers to Lakshmi (goddess of prosperity), fireworks light the sky, and feasts run late into the night.
Annakut
Families honour the bond between nature and nourishment. In temples, “mountains” of food are stacked in gratitude — a festival of sharing at its most generous.
Day of siblings
The closing day celebrates the love between brothers and sisters — gifts, blessings and a final family meal before the lamps are peacefully rested for another year.
04 · The Food
Keep scrolling — the surprise boxes open one by one, order served: mithai first, then jalebi, then the savoury board, and finally the grand feast.
Beautiful assortments of sweets — kaju katli (silver-leafed cashew fudge), besan ladoo and motichoor ladoo. Exchanging mithai boxes is the festival's warmest handshake.
Gulab jamun: soft milk dumplings soaked in cardamom syrup. Jalebi: crisp golden spirals in saffron syrup. If you see either at a Diwali lunch — start here.
Not everything is sweet! Samosas, namkeen mixes, mathri and chakli keep the tea-time conversation going all evening.
On festival day, tables overflow: biryani and paneer curries, freshly made puris, and a spread that varies by region and family. Colleagues who celebrate will happily take you along — for many UK businesses, Diwali sweets on the team table are as much a fixture as mince pies in December.
05 · Workplace Call to Action
Diwali belongs to everyone. This year, we warmly invite all our UK colleagues to join the festivities, whatever your background — there's a place by the lamplight for every one of us. ✷
Dress bright!
Join the merriment by wearing your most colourful, cheerful outfit on the day — everyone gets in on it.
Celebrate together
A shared lunch or a mithai table invites everyone in — no expertise required.
Ask, don't assume
The best inclusion is curiosity: ask colleagues how they'd love to mark the day.
🪔 Greeting copied — paste it anywhere you like, and see you in your brightest colours!
✦ Happy Diwali from our workplace to yours ✦