Diwali quiz questions for the Festival of Lights

Diwali is one of the biggest festivals on the calendar, lighting up homes, temples and city streets from India to London to New York. It falls on Sunday 8th November in 2026, and it means something slightly different depending on who's celebrating: Hindus, Sikhs and Jains each mark the occasion for their own reasons, with their own stories behind it. These twelve questions cover the traditions, symbols and history that tie the festival together, useful for a themed round or just to sharpen up your own knowledge before the day arrives.

The questions

1The word "Diwali" comes from a Sanskrit term that translates roughly to what phrase?

Answer:Row of lights (from deepavali)(click to reveal)

The name refers to the rows of small lamps traditionally lit outside homes during the festival. It's the reason Diwali is often called the "Festival of Lights" in English. More on the festival's name and origins.

2Diwali isn't just a single day. How many days does the full festival traditionally span?

Answer:Five(click to reveal)

Each day has its own name, deity and set of rituals, moving from preparations in the run-up to the main celebration through to a final day of family visits. The exact customs vary by region and household, but the five-day shape is common across most of India and Nepal. A rundown of the five days.

3What is the name of the first day of the festival, when people traditionally clean their homes and buy gold, silver or new kitchen utensils for good fortune?

Answer:Dhanteras(click to reveal)

The word combines "dhan" (wealth) with "teras" (the thirteenth day of the lunar fortnight). Many households also light a lamp that evening in honour of Dhanvantari, a deity linked to health and healing.

4Hindus welcome which goddess of wealth and prosperity into their homes on the main night of Diwali, often leaving doors and windows open for her?

Answer:Lakshmi(click to reveal)

Homes are cleaned and lit with lamps beforehand so she'll feel welcome enough to enter. Small footprints are sometimes painted leading to the front door, pointing inward, to guide her in.

5What is the name of the fifth and final day of Diwali, which celebrates the bond between brothers and sisters?

Answer:Bhai Dooj(click to reveal)

Sisters traditionally apply a tilak mark to their brothers' foreheads and pray for their wellbeing, while brothers give gifts in return. It's similar in spirit to Raksha Bandhan, held earlier in the year.

6In the Ramayana, Diwali marks the homecoming of an exiled prince to his kingdom after he defeats a powerful demon king. Who is this prince?

Answer:Rama. Villagers are said to have lit oil lamps to guide him home through the dark, along with his wife and brother, which is where the festival's association with lighting the way for good over evil comes from.(click to reveal)

The story is central to how Diwali is celebrated across much of northern India, though it's far from the only reason people mark the festival. The story of Rama's return, as told by Britannica.

7What is the name for the small clay lamps, usually filled with oil and a cotton wick, that are lit in doorways and windowsills throughout Diwali?

Answer:Diyas(click to reveal)

They're lit to symbolise the triumph of light over darkness and are placed everywhere from front steps to riverbanks. In recent years, strings of electric fairy lights have become a common addition alongside the traditional clay versions.

8What name is given to the colourful patterns, often made from coloured powder, rice or flower petals, that people create on the ground near their front doors during Diwali?

Answer:Rangoli(click to reveal)

Designs range from simple geometric shapes to elaborate depictions of peacocks, lotus flowers or deities, and families often work on them together in the days leading up to the festival. More on the art form.

9Sikhs mark a separate festival on the same day as Diwali, commemorating a Guru's release from imprisonment at Gwalior Fort. What is this festival called?

Answer:Bandi Chhor Divas (Prisoner Release Day)(click to reveal)

According to Sikh tradition, the sixth Guru, Hargobind, secured the release of dozens of imprisoned princes alongside himself and arrived at the Golden Temple in Amritsar as Diwali was being celebrated there, so the two occasions have been marked together ever since. Read the full story.

10For Jains, Diwali marks the anniversary of the moksha, or spiritual liberation, of which figure, the twenty-fourth and final Tirthankara of their faith?

Answer:Mahavira(click to reveal)

Tradition holds that lamps were first lit on this day to symbolise the "light of knowledge" after his passing, and many Jains still avoid fireworks out of a commitment to ahimsa, or non-violence towards all living things. More on the Jain observance.

11What is the Hindi word for the sweets and treats exchanged between family, friends and neighbours during Diwali?

Answer:Mithai(click to reveal)

Boxes of mithai are often the first thing given when visiting someone's home during the festival, and refusing them is generally considered impolite. Popular varieties include barfi, laddoo and gulab jamun, many of them made with milk, sugar and nuts.

12Leicester's Golden Mile hosts what is widely considered the largest Diwali celebration outside of which country?

Answer:India(click to reveal)

The event spans around two weeks and includes a lights switch-on that draws tens of thousands of visitors from across the UK, ending with a fireworks display. More on Leicester's Diwali celebrations.

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However you're marking it, Diwali is a good excuse for a themed quiz round, whether that's a dedicated night or a few questions dropped into a wider general knowledge session. If cultural festivals work well for your quiz nights, our Holi quiz questions and Chinese New Year quiz questions cover similar ground for other times of year. And if you want to build a full quiz around any of these, the quiz creator makes it straightforward to put one together.