How to Host the Perfect Diwali Celebration at Home
The Hindu holiday of Diwali marks a truly special, larger-than-life celebration that beams with joy and light. And what better way to celebrate the festival of lights than by opening your home to friends and family? It’s the perfect way to spread the aura of happiness that this auspicious holiday so beautifully represents. Below, we’ve put together 7 easy tips to help you simplify the planning process!
Arrange DĂ©cor:
This holiday is all about shining bright (quite literally!) In fact, the presence of light is a significant symbol both physically and spiritually. People all over the world incorporate candles, diyas, oil lamps, and electric lighting into their décor to beautifully celebrate the symbolism of light and life. Along with lighting, this holiday often incorporates vivid, jewel-toned fabrics and bright florals (and you can never have too much of either!)
Plan a Menu:
Like all holiday parties, food is arguably the most important component. From traditional dishes like karanji and aloo tikki to customary crackers like phuljharis and charkis, there is a wealth of online recipes and cookbooks that are sure to shine at your Diwali party. We recommend checking out Nita Mehta’s Diwali Cookbook, which is filled with detailed (yet simple!) recipes that range from drinks and starters to main courses and desserts. Keep in mind, the food most closely associated with this holiday are traditional Indian sweets!
If you want to worry less about food preparations and just focus on your guests, you can keep things simple and order from a restaurant. Before you commit, spend some time researching restaurants in your area and reference their menus to make sure the dishes will fit your overall theme.
Build a Guest List:
Consider how many people you can comfortably host in your home for this special occasion. Once you have a general idea, create an organized spreadsheet that includes a first name, last name, and email address for each of your guests. This will come in handy when you’re ready to send out invitations. Paperless invitation services (like Greenvelope!) allow you to upload your list directly.
Send Digital Invitations:
Greenvelope offers a number of elegant designs that will beautifully set the stage for your party. In fact, you can browse a bunch of Diwali invitations here. Once you find that perfect design, don’t hesitate to add a touch of personalization and really make it your own. Be sure to send your invitations three to four weeks beforehand. By going digital, you’ll find that planning your event is dramatically easier, especially when it comes to tracking. You’ll be on your way to collecting RSVPs in no time!
We recommend adding a dress code to your Diwali party invitation, as it’s common for guests to arrive in traditional Indian attire. If you want to add a twist to your party (like a Bollywood-themed evening!) it’s a good idea to reference that on your invitation.
Set-up Activities:
One of the most popular games during Diwali is teen patti. We also recommend having a few card game options for guests guests who aren’t interested in gambling (like UNO!) Keep in mind that this holiday is marked by large firework displays. See what’s going on in your community and if possible, carve out some time to view a display.
Create a Playlist:
Whether you have portable speakers or a household sound system, be sure to create a playlist that has generational differences in mind. You want all your guests to enjoy the music, so don’t be afraid to play a variety! Spotify is always a good resource when it comes to recommended playlists.
Provide Party Favors:
It’s likely that many of your guests will arrive to your party with a gift. So make sure you have something for them to leave with as well! You can easily purchase readymade gifts from a shop, but we also love the idea of creating something DIY (like a homemade nan khatai cookie packaged in a cute favor box!)
Happy planning!
