Is it appropriate to celebrate Diwali at work if most of the team does not celebrate it?

Yes, as long as it is framed as an invitation rather than an obligation. Many workplaces in the UAE mark several cultural and religious festivals through the year. Explaining the meaning simply, keeping participation optional and inviting colleagues who celebrate Diwali to shape the event helps everyone feel welcome and respected.

What are good Diwali activities for a corporate team?

Simple, low-pressure activities work best: lighting diyas or LED candles, creating a shared rangoli, a short gratitude round in small groups, and sharing traditional sweets. Avoid compulsory performances or games. The aim is connection and a moment of reflection, so a forty-five minute gathering is often more meaningful than a long party.

How can we include remote employees in a Diwali celebration?

Send a small kit in advance with a diya or LED candle, a card and sweets, then light the lamps together at an agreed time. Use breakout rooms of four or five people for conversation, and ask one host to look after the online group so remote colleagues feel part of the moment, not observers of it.

Diwali Team Celebrations That Build Real Connection

A Diwali team celebration includes everyone when it is framed as an invitation to share light, gratitude and fresh starts, not a test of cultural knowledge. Keep participation optional, explain the traditions simply, offer food everyone can eat, and add one small reflective moment. That is how a festival builds emotional connection at work.

Many of the teams I work with in Al Barsha and across Dubai bring together people from dozens of countries. For some colleagues, Diwali is the brightest week of the year, full of family memories. For others, it is a festival they have only seen from the outside. A thoughtful Diwali team celebration can hold both experiences in the same room.

In this guide I share a practical approach I use with teams: how to plan the day, what to include, what to avoid, and how to turn a festive lunch into a moment people actually remember.

Why Diwali Works So Well for Mixed Teams

Diwali, the festival of lights, is celebrated by Hindus, Sikhs, Jains and some Buddhists, each with their own stories and customs. At its heart are themes almost everyone recognises: light over darkness, new beginnings, generosity and time with the people who matter to you.

Those themes translate beautifully into team life. Every team has things it wants to leave behind, things it is grateful for and hopes for the season ahead. When you frame a Diwali celebration around those shared ideas, colleagues who have never lit a diya feel just as welcome as those who grew up with the festival.

There is also something quietly powerful about a festival that centres on light at this time of year. As the pace of the final quarter picks up, a pause to notice what has gone well, and who helped, gives people a chance to reconnect before the busy stretch to year end. I find that teams who take that pause together often speak to each other more openly in the weeks that follow, simply because they have shared something real.

Start by Asking, Not Assuming

The most inclusive celebrations begin with a simple conversation. Before you book a caterer or order decorations, talk to the colleagues who celebrate Diwali. Ask what the festival means to them, what they would enjoy at work, and what they would rather keep for home.

Some colleagues love sharing their traditions; others prefer not to be the spokesperson for a whole culture. Respect both.
Check the dates. Diwali moves each year with the lunar calendar, and many people take leave to be with family.
Invite volunteers to co-host rather than handing them the whole job on top of their usual work.
Ask about regional differences. Diwali in Gujarat, Tamil Nadu or Punjab can look quite different, and colleagues may enjoy explaining that.

Building Emotional Connection at Work Through a Festival

A festival lunch can easily become just another catered event: people fill plates, check phones and drift back to their desks. What turns it into real emotional connection at work is a short, shared moment of attention, where people speak and listen to each other as people, not job titles.

Here is a simple structure I often use, which fits into forty-five minutes:

A warm welcome (5 minutes). One colleague who celebrates Diwali shares, in their own words, what the festival means to them.
Lighting the lamps (10 minutes). Everyone lights a small diya or an LED candle, depending on office safety rules. As they do, they quietly name one thing they want to bring more light to this season.
A gratitude round (15 minutes). In small groups, each person shares one moment from the year they are thankful for, ideally involving someone in the room.
Sweets and conversation (15 minutes). Share mithai and snacks, with time simply to talk.

No one is required to speak in the larger group, and passing is always allowed. That small permission is often what makes people feel safe enough to join in.

Food, Decor and Dress: Getting the Details Right

Details are where inclusion becomes real. A few practical points help every colleague feel considered:

Food: Offer a vegetarian spread, since many Diwali traditions are vegetarian, and label anything containing nuts, dairy or gluten. Include options for colleagues who avoid sugar or certain ingredients for personal or religious reasons.
Decor: Rangoli made from coloured powder, flowers or even paper cut-outs, marigold garlands and soft lighting create atmosphere without fuss.
Dress: Invite people to wear something bright or festive if they would like to, but never make traditional dress an expectation. Avoid costume-style outfits that turn a living culture into a theme party.
Timing: Choose a time that works across shifts and remote colleagues, and keep it within working hours so caregivers can attend.

Including Remote and Hybrid Colleagues

For teams spread between Dubai, Abu Dhabi and offices further afield, a hybrid format can work beautifully. Send a small kit in advance, perhaps a diya, a card and a box of sweets, so remote colleagues light their lamp at the same time as the office group. Keep the gratitude round in breakout rooms of four or five people, so the conversation stays personal rather than turning into a long video call.

Ask one person to look after the online group: welcoming people, keeping an eye on the chat and making sure remote voices are heard during the shared moments.

What to Avoid

Even well-meaning celebrations can leave some colleagues feeling uncomfortable. In my experience, these are the most common pitfalls:

Expecting one colleague to be the expert on all things Indian or Hindu.
Mandatory games, performances or dancing.
Scheduling the event on Diwali itself, when the people it honours would rather be home.
Celebrating only one festival in the year, which can make other colleagues feel overlooked. A simple calendar that marks Eid, Christmas, Lunar New Year, Diwali and others shows balance.
Loud fireworks videos or crowded rooms for colleagues who find noise and crowds tiring.

After the Lights Go Down

The best celebrations leave something behind. A week after Diwali, consider a short follow-up: share a photo of the rangoli, revisit one of the hopes people named, or ask the team what they would like to keep doing together. Small rituals of appreciation, repeated through the year, matter far more than one big event.

This is the work I love most with teams: helping people feel seen by the colleagues they spend most of their week with. Festivals are simply a lovely doorway into that.

Dr S Pujah works with teams in person in Al Barsha, Dubai, and online across Abu Dhabi, the GCC and Singapore.

If you would like help designing a Diwali gathering, or any team moment that builds genuine connection, explore Unmute team connection sessions and let us shape something your whole team will feel part of.

Diwali Team Celebrations That Include Everyone