Diwali 2026: when to send your cards
A Diwali card does one simple job: it carries your light to someone else's home. Whether you print a folded card for the grandparents, send a status to the family WhatsApp group or mail a greeting to every client, the card works when the design suits the person and the message sounds like you.
In 2026, Lakshmi Puja — the main night of Diwali — falls on Sunday, 8 November, the new-moon night (Amavasya) of the month of Kartik. The five days of the festival run from 6 to 10 November:
- 6 November — Dhanteras
- 7 November — Naraka Chaturdashi (Choti Diwali)
- 8 November — Lakshmi Puja (main Diwali)
- 9 November — Govardhan Puja
- 10 November — Bhai Dooj
Printed cards should be in the post by late October. Digital cards are usually sent on the morning of Dhanteras or on Diwali itself. Below are eight design ideas, copy-ready wishes and the fastest way to make a card with your own name on it.
8 Diwali card design ideas
Each of these is one of the eight styles in our AI Diwali card maker, and each image below was made with it. Use them as inspiration for a handmade card too — the ideas work the same with paper and glue.
1. Diyas and rangoli
Best for: Family, relatives, neighbours
The classic Diwali greeting card design: lit clay diyas, a marigold garland and a rangoli on the floor, with the greeting on a clean panel so it stays readable. If you only make one card for everyone, make this one.
2. Fireworks night
Best for: Friends, cousins, social media
Sparklers in the foreground and golden fireworks over rooftops lined with lamps, against a deep indigo sky. It is the most festive of the eight and looks good as an Instagram post or a WhatsApp status.
3. Elegant gold foil
Best for: Elders, formal greetings, printed cards
Royal blue or maroon card stock, gold-foil lettering, a fine mandala border and a single brass diya. It reads as premium stationery and is the one to print for people who keep their cards on the mantelpiece. It also suits a Hindi greeting such as "शुभ दीपावली".
4. Kids craft
Best for: Children, school, younger cousins
Paper-cut kandil lanterns, colourful paper diyas and rounded lettering with a hand-made look. Good for a card from the children to their grandparents, or as a model for a classroom Diwali card craft.
5. Family photo card
Best for: Personalised family greetings
Your own family photo inside a marigold-and-diya frame, with the greeting on a separate panel below. This is the personalised Diwali card with photo that people actually keep. A clear, evenly lit group photo works best.
6. Corporate greeting
Best for: Clients, partners, employees
A restrained cream or navy layout with one brass diya, a thin gold line and plenty of white space, with your company name typed exactly as you give it. It works as an email greeting, a LinkedIn post or a printed card for the office.
7. Marigold minimal
Best for: Modern, understated greetings
A soft cream background, a marigold border along one edge, one small lit diya and a clean serif greeting. It is the calmest design here and suits colleagues, friends abroad and anyone who prefers less sparkle.
8. Traditional Lakshmi
Best for: Devotional greetings, family elders
A graceful, respectful depiction of Goddess Lakshmi with a small Ganesha motif, lotus flowers, lit diyas and a red-and-gold border. Choose it for elders and for families who perform Lakshmi Puja. Other styles never add deities on their own — this is the only one that includes them.
Diwali card messages and wishes (English and Hindi)
Short is better: one or two lines that sound like you. Copy any of these, change the names, and type it straight into the card.
For family
English
- May the diyas light up your home and the new year fill it with joy. Happy Diwali!
- From our family to yours — wishing you light, love and sweets in plenty.
- May Lakshmi bless your home with peace and prosperity. Shubh Deepavali!
Hindi
- दीयों की रोशनी से आपका घर जगमगाए और हर दिन खुशियों से भरा रहे। शुभ दीपावली!
- हमारे परिवार की ओर से आपके पूरे परिवार को दीपावली की हार्दिक शुभकामनाएं।
- माँ लक्ष्मी आपके घर सुख, शांति और समृद्धि लेकर आएं।
For friends
English
- More ladoos, louder laughter, fewer worries. Happy Diwali!
- Here's to every bit of light you bring into my life. Happy Diwali, my friend.
- Wishing you a Diwali that sparkles even brighter than the last one.
Hindi
- मिठाई, रोशनी और ढेर सारी हँसी — हैप्पी दिवाली, दोस्त!
- इस दिवाली हर अंधेरा दूर हो और तुम्हारे सारे सपने रोशन हों।
For clients and partners
English
- Thank you for your trust this year. Wishing you and your family a bright Diwali and a prosperous New Year — from all of us at [Company].
- May this festival of lights bring success to you and your team. Warm Diwali greetings from [Company].
Hindi
- आपके विश्वास और साथ के लिए धन्यवाद। आपको और आपके परिवार को दीपावली व नववर्ष की शुभकामनाएं — [कंपनी का नाम]
- प्रकाश पर्व दीपावली आपके व्यापार में नई रोशनी और समृद्धि लाए।
For employees and colleagues
English
- Thank you for everything you brought to the team this year. Wishing you and your family a happy and safe Diwali.
- Here's to a year of shared wins and a Diwali full of rest and celebration.
Hindi
- इस साल आपकी हर मेहनत के लिए धन्यवाद। आपको और आपके परिवार को शुभ दीपावली!
- पूरी टीम की ओर से आपको दीपावली की ढेरों शुभकामनाएं।
- Add a name. "Happy Diwali from the Sharma family" feels personal; "Happy Diwali" alone feels forwarded.
- For a mixed audience, put a short Hindi line on top ("शुभ दीपावली") and the English message below.
- For business cards, keep it neutral: thanks, light and prosperity. Not everyone you work with marks Diwali the same way.
How to make a personalised Diwali card in 3 steps
You can make all of the designs above with the AI Diwali card maker in about a minute. The model behind it, gpt-image-2.5, is the one we use for cards because it renders names, company names and Devanagari text accurately.
- Write the greeting. Type it in English, Hindi or another Indian script — for example "Happy Diwali from the Sharma family" or "शुभ दीपावली". Add a company name, or a date and address if it is an invitation. The text is rendered letter for letter.
- Pick a style and a format, and add a photo if you want one. Choose one of the eight styles, then a format: square, portrait, folded print card, A4 poster or WhatsApp status (9:16). For a photo card, choose Family Photo Card and upload one family photo.
- Choose a quality tier and create. Standard (1K) is enough for phones, High (2K) for social posts and 5×7" cards, Print (4K) for A4 posters and folded cards. Download the card and share or print it.
Quality tiers and credits
| Tier | Resolution | Credits per card | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | 1K | 40 | WhatsApp, phone screens |
| High | 2K | 80 | Instagram posts, 5×7" prints |
| 4K | 240 | A4 posters, folded printed cards |
Signing up is free, and a Standard (1K) card costs 40 credits. If a generation fails, the credits are refunded. Results on the free plan carry a small CreateVision watermark; subscribers download without it.
Printing vs WhatsApp and Instagram: which size to choose
The same design can go to a phone or a printer, but the format and the resolution should change with it.
| Where it goes | Format to choose | Tier |
|---|---|---|
| WhatsApp status, Instagram or Facebook story | WhatsApp status (9:16) | Standard (1K) |
| WhatsApp chat, Instagram feed post | Square or Portrait | Standard or High |
| Email or LinkedIn greeting from a company | Square or Portrait | High (2K) |
| Folded printed card (5×7") | Print (folded) | Print (4K) |
| Poster for the office, shop or society notice board | Poster (A4) | Print (4K) |
If you are printing
- Use the Print tier. 4K holds up at A4 and as a folded 5×7" card; 1K will look soft on paper.
- Matte or silk card stock shows gold tones and dark backgrounds better than glossy photo paper, which reflects light.
- Print one test copy first. Colours on paper are usually a little darker than on a phone screen.
Before you print, open the result in our free print checker to see the exact DPI at any paper size. Open the free print checker
If you are sharing on WhatsApp or Instagram
- Use the 9:16 format for status and stories. The greeting stays in the centre, with safe space at the top and bottom, so the status bar and reply box don't cover it.
- WhatsApp compresses images. A clean design with large lettering survives compression better than fine detail.
- Send it with a personal line in the chat as well. The card is the decoration; the message is the greeting.
What the symbols on a Diwali card mean
Diwali, or Deepavali, means "a row of lights". Knowing what the familiar symbols stand for helps you pick a design that fits the person you are sending it to.
Diya
A small clay oil lamp. Rows of diyas are lit at doorways and windows to welcome light into the home and to mark the victory of light over darkness. Almost every Diwali card has at least one.
Rangoli
Patterns made at the entrance with coloured powder, rice or flower petals, as a welcome for guests and for Lakshmi. Designs and names differ by region — in the South it is often called kolam.
Lakshmi
The goddess of prosperity and well-being, worshipped on the main night of Diwali, often together with Ganesha. On a card she should be shown with respect: a graceful, devotional depiction, not a cartoon or a background decoration.
Marigolds
Orange and yellow marigold garlands (genda) decorate doorways and altars during the festival, which is why marigold borders read instantly as Diwali.
Not only a Hindu festival
Jains celebrate Diwali as the night Mahavira, the 24th Tirthankara, attained nirvana. Sikhs mark the same time as Bandi Chhor Divas, celebrating the release of Guru Hargobind from Gwalior Fort. For Jain or Sikh friends, a diya, lights or a simple "Happy Diwali" suits better than a Lakshmi card.
When you are not sure what someone observes, choose the diyas-and-rangoli, marigold or corporate design. They speak to the festival of lights without assuming a particular tradition.
Diwali card FAQ
When is Diwali 2026?
The main day of Diwali, Lakshmi Puja, is Sunday, 8 November 2026. The five-day festival runs from Dhanteras on 6 November to Bhai Dooj on 10 November.
What should I write in a Diwali card?
One or two warm lines plus a name. For example: "May the diyas light up your home and the new year fill it with joy. Happy Diwali from the Sharma family." In Hindi, "शुभ दीपावली" or "दीपावली की हार्दिक शुभकामनाएं" are always right. There are more wishes for family, friends, clients and employees above.
Can I make a Diwali card for free?
You can start for free: signing up costs nothing, and a card at the Standard (1K) tier costs 40 credits. To generate cards you need credits — credit packs start at $9 and never expire, or you can pick a plan. Free-plan results carry a small watermark.
Can I write the greeting in Hindi?
Yes. Type it in Devanagari — or in Gujarati, Tamil, Telugu, Bengali, Marathi, Punjabi or Kannada — and it is rendered letter for letter. If a rare conjunct comes out wrong, generate again; a failed generation is refunded.
How do I make a personalised Diwali card with a photo?
Choose the Family Photo Card style, upload one clear family photo and type your greeting. The family appears as a real photograph inside a marigold-and-diya frame, with the greeting on a panel below.
Can I make a corporate Diwali greeting with my company name?
Yes. Type the company name in the greeting and choose the Corporate Greeting style; the name is rendered exactly as you type it. Logo upload is not supported yet.
What size should a printed Diwali card be?
Use the Print (4K) tier with the Print (folded) format for a folded 5×7" card, or the Poster (A4) format for an A4 poster. For phones, 1K is enough.
Can I turn the card into a Diwali invitation?
Yes. Put the invitation in the greeting box — "Join us for Diwali on Sunday 8 November, 7 pm" plus the address — and any style becomes an invitation card. Use the WhatsApp status format to send it to a group.
