How to celebrate Diwali 2024 at the office

Diwali is the Indian festival of light, prosperity, and sharing love with family. Increasingly many organisations in Australia also celebrate Diwali. It’s a great way to promote inclusivity and spread the festive cheer.

Celebrating Diwali in the workplace is growing in popularity. And no wonder, given at the end of June 2022, 753,520 Indian-born people were living in Australia. After the United Kingdom, this is the second largest migrant community in Australia.

There are many ways to enjoy Diwali with your colleagues. You can decorate the office, play games, have a traditional Indian dance party or spend a day with a charity.

Before we share some handy tips to make the most of your Diwali at the office, let’s learn about its origin.  

Diwali in Australia this year is on Thursday, 31 October at 9:22 pm until Fri, 1 November 2024 at 11:46 pm (AEST). The dates of Diwali are based on the Hindu lunar calendar, typically falling in late October or early November each year.

Diwali is derived from the Sanskrit word – Deepavali, which means rows of lit lamps. The day symbolises the victory of good over evil and light over darkness.

As one of the stories of Hindu scripture goes, Diwali is celebrated when Lord Rama with his wife Sita and brother Laxman return to their homeland, Ayodhya after 14 years in exile. The residents of the city lit rows of lamps for a month to welcome them. Since then, Diwali is celebrated for at least five days, in the month of October or November.

Diwali customs vary across different Indian communities, but the spirit of merriment is the same. People usually offer prayers, meet family, decorate homes, and enjoy special food. With so many fun things happening at home, the excitement spills over to the workplace. Here are some ways to celebrate Diwali with your colleagues.

Houses are decorated in colourful rangoli patterns, oil lamps (diyas), candles, and strings of electric lights to illuminate the surroundings, symbolising the triumph of light over darkness.

Diwali is famous for its dazzling firework displays. Fireworks are believed to drive away evil spirits. However, in recent years, there has been a growing concern about the environmental impact and safety issues associated with fireworks.

The exchange of gifts and sweets is a significant part of Diwali. It is a time to express love and goodwill towards family and friends. Traditional Indian sweets, such as ladoos and barfis, are popular Diwali gifts.

Preparing and sharing special Diwali delicacies is a tradition. Families make a variety of sweets and savory snacks to offer to guests and to enjoy during the festivities.

Diwali is a time when people shop for new clothes, jewellery, and household items. Markets and stores are beautifully decorated, offering a wide range of festive merchandise.

Before Diwali, people thoroughly clean and renovate their homes. This symbolises the removal of negativity and the welcoming of positivity.

Diwali is a time for community bonding. Many neighbourhoods and localities organise cultural events to bring people together.

Here are some ways to celebrate Diwali with your colleagues.

In the days leading to Diwali, people clean, decorate or paint their homes to welcome prosperity and wealth. At work, you can organise a cleaning drive and encourage teams to decorate their workspaces. They can use flowers, confetti, or streamers to add a bit of colour and character.

You can reward the team that does the best job of celebrating the spirit of Diwali.

Don’t forget the common areas of the office. You can place lamps or create rangoli, a traditional art form created using flowers, rice flour or coloured chalk powder.  Alternatively, you can purchase ready-to-use rangoli mats and place near the entrance.

One cannot celebrate Diwali without a gastronomical extravaganza. It’s the perfect opportunity to organise potluck with your team. People can bring in either homemade or store-bought special snacks. If you want to go bigger, reach out to small businesses that create grazing boards with a focus on Indian snacks and sweets.

Expect to try Katori chaat, mini samosa, vegetarian wraps, and vegan salads.  You can also order non-alcoholic drinks made with fresh lime, rose syrup, or the ever-popular mango lassi.

An easy way to join in the celebrations (even if you don’t have an Indian background) is to wear something fun and cheerful. While some people like to go all the way with traditional attire, others might prefer simply adding a colourful accessory. Encourage your teammates to wear a multicoloured scarf with a white shirt, a bright skirt, or take it up a notch with an Indian kurta (a long dressy, shirt).

Festivals are the perfect time to connect with family or workmates celebrating Diwali in another part of the world. Whether you’re in Australia for work, study or business trip dial in and share the Aussie festive spirit with your team.

If you're travelling overseas during Diwali, check out Optus International Roaming.

Got visitors staying from overseas during Diwali? They can stay connected while in Australia with an Optus Traveller SIM.

We caught up with Rashi Dwivedi, a Testing Specialist whose role is to help ensure the Optus website is accessible for all including those who are hearing or vision impaired.

According to Rashi, because Optus embraces diversity it creates a culture that is inclusive and encourages office celebrations such as Diwali.

“We're pretty good at celebrating Diwali at Optus. There are many lunches and get togethers across the business. People come dressed in traditional clothes and bring in their favourite Diwali treats to share and there are lots of decorations across the campus.

“Being able to celebrate Diwali at the office with colleagues helps those whose families and friends are in India. When I first moved to Australia seven years ago, I missed our traditions. So, I was so pleased to join in the Diwali celebrations at Optus.

“When we were in India, we used to travel to our hometown to be with all our family members to celebrate. You feel really lonely. Like I literally cried when it was my first Diwali in Australia.

“But now we celebrate at the office, and we go to each other's houses. I’ve made a lot of friends here.

“While you can’t replace being with your family, it’s a great way to celebrate Diwali which is after all, all about victory over darkness. Even if there is a lot of darkness, light will always win.

“I love that Optus celebrates Diwali and celebrates different cultures It’s an accepting and inclusive culture and that’s very important to me,” Rashi says.

Travelling overseas for Diwali?

Travel easy with Optus Daily Roaming

All you have to do is land.

With Optus Choice Plus plans, we’ll give you 5GB data from $5 a day which automatically activates as soon as you land in a Zone 1 destination and use your phone. Plus, get unlimited standard talk and text. Run out of data? Don’t worry! we’ll add another 5GB for only $5 extra. T&Cs apply.