Diwali Social Media Calendar 2026 (Day by Day)

Diwali 2026 falls on Sunday, 8 November. For most Indian businesses that makes the next three weeks the busiest selling season of the year, and the busiest posting season too: your customers' feeds fill with offers, greetings and gift guides from every brand they follow.

The businesses that stand out aren't the ones that post the most. They're the ones that post the right thing on the right day, and had it ready before the rush. Here's a day-by-day plan you can copy.

The dates that matter in 2026

Date	Day	Occasion
29 October	Thursday	Karwa Chauth
6 November	Friday	Dhanteras
7 November	Saturday	Choti Diwali
8 November	Sunday	Diwali (Lakshmi Puja)
9 November	Monday	Govardhan Puja
10 November	Tuesday	Bhai Dooj
13 to 16 November	Friday to Monday	Chhath Puja

Some of these move by a day depending on the region and the panchang your customers follow, so check against your own calendar. Diwali is also Bandi Chhor Divas for Sikhs and marks Mahavira's nirvana for Jains, so a greeting that speaks of light and family rather than one ritual reaches everyone who celebrates.

Phase 1, now to 1 November: build up

People start planning gifts and outfits well before the day. This is the time to be useful, not loud.

Gift guides. "Gifts under ₹999", "For the sister who has everything", "Corporate gifting for 20 or more". One guide a week is plenty.
New stock and behind the scenes. The Diwali collection arriving, sweets being made, hampers being packed. Short Reels of real work beat stock images of diyas.
Karwa Chauth on 29 October. If you sell jewellery, clothes, beauty, sweets or run a restaurant, it's its own small season: post three or four days before, not on the day.
Set your Google Business Profile hours. Add special hours for the festival days now, so people searching "open now" on Diwali don't find a locked door.

Phase 2, 2 to 6 November: offers and Dhanteras

This is when people buy. Put your offer in plain words with its last date: "Flat 30% off till 8 November" works better than "Diwali dhamaka".

One clear offer post, pinned to the top of your Instagram grid, with the end date in the caption and on the image.
A Google Business Profile Offer post with the same start and end dates, so it stays on your profile in Search and Maps for the length of the offer.
Dhanteras on 6 November is a big buying day for gold, silver, utensils and electronics. If that's your category, post on the 5th and again on the morning of the 6th, while people are still deciding where to buy.
Reminders, not repeats. "2 days left" is a reason to post again; the same image three times isn't.

Phase 3, 7 and 8 November: Diwali

Ease off the selling. Your customers are with their families, and a hard sell on Lakshmi Puja day stands out for the wrong reasons.

Choti Diwali, 7 November: a short "we're open till 9 tonight" or "last orders for delivery before Diwali" post, if it's true for you.
Diwali, 8 November: one warm greeting from your team or your shop, posted in the morning. A photo of your actual staff, your actual shopfront lit up, or a short video says more than any template.
Customer photos. Ask customers to tag you in their Diwali looks or table spreads, and share them (with their permission) over the following days.

Phase 4, 9 and 10 November: Govardhan Puja and Bhai Dooj

Bhai Dooj on 10 November is a gifting day of its own: "for your brother" and "for your sister" gift posts on the 8th and 9th do well for apparel, accessories, sweets and gadgets.
Last chance. If your offer runs past Diwali, this is the "ends tomorrow" moment.

Phase 5, 11 to 16 November: thank you and Chhath

A thank-you post. "We packed 1,200 hampers this Diwali" or a photo of the team after the rush. People like seeing the business behind the feed.
Chhath Puja, 13 to 16 November, matters most to customers in Bihar, Jharkhand and eastern Uttar Pradesh, and to people from there wherever they live. If they're your audience, a respectful greeting fits; if not, skip it.
Back to normal. Restock posts and reviews ("what our Diwali customers said") carry you into the wedding season.

What to post where

Instagram: Reels for behind-the-scenes and gift ideas, a carousel for the gift guide, one pinned offer post, Stories for daily reminders.
Facebook: the same offer and greeting posts, for the customers who follow local businesses there.
Google Business Profile: special hours, one Offer post for your sale, and an update on Diwali day. This is what people see when they search your shop's name.
LinkedIn: for B2B and corporate gifting: a gifting catalogue post in the last week of October, and a team greeting on the day.

Schedule it now, before the rush

The plan above is twenty-odd posts in three weeks, landing on the days your shop is busiest. Write them this week and schedule them, so Diwali morning is for your customers, not your phone.

PostStage is built for exactly this. You can schedule posts to Instagram, Facebook, Google Business Profile, LinkedIn and 12 other platforms from one place, to go out at the exact minute you choose in IST. Indian festivals show on the calendar, so you can see Dhanteras and Bhai Dooj coming. The AI caption writer can write in Hinglish, in Hindi or in a festive tone, and on the Pro plan PostCue can plan a whole campaign around the festival dates for you to review.

See how PostStage works for Indian businesses, or start on the free plan and have your Diwali posts scheduled tonight.