Timing is everything. If you're asking when does festival of lights start, you’ve probably realized there isn't just one answer. It depends entirely on which tradition you’re following. Usually, people are talking about Diwali, the Hindu celebration that blankets India in clay lamps. Or they mean Hanukkah, the Jewish Eight Nights. Sometimes, they’re just looking for the local botanical garden's holiday display.
Dates shift. They wander.
Because many of these traditions rely on lunar or lunisolar calendars, the "start date" on a standard Gregorian calendar moves every single year. It’s a bit of a moving target.
The Big One: When Does Diwali Begin?
Diwali is the heavyweight here. For 2026, the main event of Diwali falls on November 8. However, the "Festival of Lights" actually kicks off two days earlier with Dhanteras.
The festivities officially start on November 6, 2026.
Why that specific day? It follows the Hindu month of Kartika. Specifically, it peaks on the darkest night—the Amavasya. It’s a paradox, really. You celebrate the greatest light on the night with the least amount of natural moonshine. Most people think Diwali is just one day of fireworks, but it’s a five-day marathon.
- Day 1 (Dhanteras): November 6. People buy gold or kitchen utensils. It’s about prospertiy.
- Day 2 (Choti Diwali): November 7.
- Day 3 (Diwali/Lakshmi Puja): November 8. This is the peak. This is when the oil lamps (diyas) are everywhere.
- Day 4 (Govardhan Puja): November 9.
- Day 5 (Bhai Dooj): November 10.
Honestly, if you show up on November 9th expecting the "start," you’ve missed the best parts. You’ve missed the massive rangoli patterns drawn on doorsteps and the initial lighting of the lamps. By the 10th, everyone is mostly just eating leftovers and visiting family.
Hanukkah: The Jewish Festival of Lights
If you aren't looking for Diwali, you’re likely looking for Hanukkah.
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In 2025, Hanukkah was quite late. But in 2026, the festival of lights starts at sunset on December 4.
It lasts for eight nights, ending on the evening of December 12. Unlike Diwali, which focuses on the new moon, Hanukkah is tied to the 25th day of the Hebrew month of Kislev.
The first candle on the menorah (the hanukkiah) is lit on that Friday night. It's a different vibe. It’s more domestic. It’s about the miracle of the oil in the Temple of Jerusalem. While Diwali is often a community-wide explosion of noise and light, Hanukkah is usually a glow in the window of a home.
Why the Dates Feel Random
It’s the moon’s fault.
Most Westerners live by the sun. The Gregorian calendar is solar. But the Hebrew and Hindu calendars are lunisolar. They have to "drift" to stay aligned with the seasons. That’s why Hanukkah can sometimes collide with Thanksgiving (the legendary "Thanksgivukkah") and other times sit right on top of Christmas. If you’re planning a party, you basically have to check a specialized calendar three years in advance.
Other Festivals You Might Be Thinking Of
"Festival of Lights" is a bit of a generic term these days. It’s been co-opted by cities and parks worldwide.
For instance, the Lyon Festival of Lights (Fête des Lumières) in France has a very fixed schedule. It always centers around December 8. It started as a tribute to the Virgin Mary in 1852, but now it’s a high-tech light show that attracts millions. If you want to see that one, you need to be in Lyon during the second week of December.
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Then there’s Thailand.
Loy Krathong. This is the one you see on Instagram where thousands of lanterns float on the water. It happens on the full moon of the 12th Thai month. For 2026, mark your calendar for November 24. It’s often confused with Yi Peng (the sky lanterns), which happens around the same time in Northern Thailand.
They are breathtaking. They are also a logistical nightmare if you don't book your hotel six months early.
The Logic of the Light
There is a reason all these festivals happen when the world gets cold and dark.
Anthropologically speaking, humans have always been terrified of the dark. Whether it’s the winter solstice or the "dark fortnight" of the Hindu calendar, we use fire to reclaim the night. It’s a psychological survival mechanism.
When you ask when does festival of lights start, you’re really asking when the "dark season" begins its turnaround.
In the Northern Hemisphere, the days are at their shortest. The air is crisp (or freezing). In India, the monsoon has ended, and the air is clear enough to actually see the stars—and the fireworks. There’s a biological "lift" that comes from seeing a thousand flickering flames when you’re used to grey skies.
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Practical Steps for 2026
If you are planning to celebrate or travel for these events, you can't just wing it.
- For Diwali: Book travel to cities like Jaipur, Varanasi, or Leicester (UK) by August. The airfare spikes once September hits. If you're celebrating at home, the start date of November 6 means you should have your house "deep cleaned" by November 1. It’s a tradition—Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth, supposedly doesn't enter messy houses.
- For Hanukkah: Since it starts December 4, it overlaps with the general "holiday rush." If you're ordering specific supplies or gifts, the global supply chain usually gets weird around late November. Order your candles early.
- For Lyon or Thailand: You are already late. Seriously. These festivals are massive tourist draws. For the Lyon Fête des Lumières, hotels in the city center are often booked a year out.
Don't rely on a generic "holiday" list on your phone. Most of those lists only show the main day of the festival. But as we've seen, the festival of lights starts much earlier than the peak. If you wait until the "main" day to participate, you’ve missed the buildup, the rituals, and the best food.
The 2026 calendar is particularly packed in November and December. You have Diwali early in November, Loy Krathong late in November, and Hanukkah leading the charge into December. It is essentially a solid two months of fire and celebration across the globe.
To stay accurate:
Check the lunar phase.
Confirm the local custom.
Watch for the sunset.
Most of these traditions don't start at midnight; they start when the sun goes down and the first wick is dipped in oil.
Key Dates Summary for 2026:
- Diwali (India/Global): Starts November 6, 2026.
- Loy Krathong (Thailand): November 24, 2026.
- Hanukkah (Global): Starts at sunset, December 4, 2026.
- Fête des Lumières (France): December 5–8, 2026.
Keep a close eye on local astronomical charts if you’re in a region that follows specific moon-sighting protocols, as some religious dates can shift by 24 hours based on cloud cover or geography. Generally, though, the dates above are the consensus for the 2026 calendar year.