Diwali Preparation Checklist

26 items · Lifestyle · Medium difficulty · 2 weeks

Get ready for Diwali: dates and puja time, cleaning, lights and diyas, rangoli, puja items, sweets, gifts, guests and fire safety on the night.

• Confirm this year's dates for the days you celebrate and your puja time
• Set a budget for clothes, gifts, sweets, decorations and any crackers
• Clean the house room by room

  Start with the rooms the puja and your guests will use.

• Clear out clutter and set aside things to give away
• Wash curtains, cushion covers and the puja cloth
• Make a gift list for family, friends, neighbours and coworkers
• Order sweets and dry fruit boxes early, or plan what you will make at home

  Sweet shops get busy in the days before Diwali.

• Buy or check new clothes for each day you celebrate

  Try them on early so there is time for alterations.

• Buy clay diyas, oil and cotton wicks
• Soak new diyas in water and let them dry before the first use
• Test last year's string lights before hanging them

  Throw out any set with cracked wires or broken sockets, and use only outdoor-rated lights outside.

• Hang a toran or marigold garland at the entrance
• Pick a rangoli design and buy the colours

  Practise the outline in chalk first if the design is new to you.

• Gather the puja items

  Ask whoever leads your family's puja for their list. Images of Lakshmi and Ganesha, a puja thali, flowers, incense, kumkum, rice and sweets for the offering are common for a Lakshmi puja.

• Plan any Dhanteras purchase your family makes

  Many buy metal on Dhanteras, such as a utensil, a silver coin or gold.

• Check whether firecrackers are allowed where you live

  Many cities limit them, by type or by time of night, and some ban them.

• Plan which family and friends you will visit, and who is coming to you
• Plan the meals for the main day and any guests
• Schedule calls with family who live far away
• Keep a bucket of water or sand near the diyas and crackers
• Place diyas and candles away from curtains, clothes and paper decorations

  Loose dupattas, sarees and sleeves can catch fire if they brush a flame.

• Have an adult supervise children around diyas and crackers
• Give pets a quiet room on the noisy nights
• Put out every diya and candle before bed

  If your family keeps one lamp lit through the night, set it on a metal plate well away from curtains and anything that can catch.

• Plan the Bhai Dooj visit and gifts if your family marks it
• Pack away lights and decorations after the last day

  Wind the lights loosely around a piece of card so they come out untangled next year.

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