Diwali 2026 is Sunday, November 8 — the same day as Bandi Chhor Divas. That gives you one weekend and a few weeknights to get everything in. The trick is to split the shopping: pantry items early, dairy and fresh food late, and sweets last.
The five days, at a glance
- Fri6Nov
Dhanteras
Traditionally a day for buying something new — utensils, gold, silver. Also the last calm day for a big grocery run.
- Sat7Nov
Choti Diwali
Naraka Chaturdashi. Sweets get made, the house gets its final clean, diyas get set out.
- Sun8Nov
Diwali · Bandi Chhor Divas
Lakshmi Puja in the evening, lights everywhere, gurdwaras lit up. Shops are at their busiest the day before.
- Mon9Nov
Govardhan Puja
Annakut — a spread of many dishes offered and shared.
- Tue10Nov
Bhai Dooj
Siblings' day. One more meal to plan, and one more box of mithai.
The checklist
Tick off what you already have. Everything in the first two groups keeps for weeks, so it can be bought this weekend.
For making mithai
- Besan (gram flour) — ladoo, barfi, pakoras
- Sooji (semolina) — halwa, ladoo
- Ghee — the one to compare — prices vary a lot by size
- Sugar
- Milk powder or khoya — khoya last-minute, it's perishable
- Cardamom (elaichi)
- Almonds, cashews, pistachios, raisins
- Coconut (desiccated)
Pantry, for the guests
- Atta — a bigger bag is usually cheaper per lb
- Basmati rice
- Chana dal, moong dal, rajma, kabuli chana
- Cooking oil
- Tea and spices — garam masala, haldi, jeera, chilli
- Snacks / namkeen for visitors
Dairy & fresh — buy Nov 6–7
- Paneer
- Milk — a lot more than usual if you're making sweets
- Dahi (yogurt)
- Butter
- Onions, tomatoes, potatoes, ginger, garlic
- Cilantro, green chillies, methi
- Fruit for puja and guests — pomegranates and mandarins are in season
Puja & decorations
- Clay diyas and cotton wicks
- Mustard oil or ghee for the diyas
- Candles and string lights
- Rangoli colours
- Marigold flowers / garlands — buy the day before
- Puja items: kumkum, haldi, rice, incense, matches
Gifting
- Mithai boxes — pre-order — see our mithai guide
- Dry-fruit boxes — packing your own is often cheaper
- Gift wrap and envelopes for shagun
A shopping plan that avoids the Diwali-eve queue
- 1This weekend (Oct 31 – Nov 1): everything shelf-stable — atta, rice, dals, oil, ghee, sugar, besan, sooji, dry fruits, diyas. Compare prices first; these are the big-ticket items.
- 2Midweek (Nov 3–5): place your mithai order, buy decorations and gift boxes.
- 3Friday–Saturday (Nov 6–7): paneer, milk, dahi, vegetables, fruit, flowers. Go early in the day — Saturday afternoon is the busiest stretch of the year at most desi grocery stores.
- 4Sunday (Nov 8): only the things you forgot. Many shops keep shorter hours on festival evenings.
Where Flyerly helps
Flyerly collects this week's prices from desi grocery and produce shops around Scott Road, North Delta and the rest of Metro Vancouver. Search ghee or atta and you'll see who's cheapest right now, cheapest first. Put your Diwali list in the app and it tells you the cheapest shop for each item.
See today's prices on Diwali staples in our Diwali price watch, which updates on its own as shops post their flyers.
Sources
Questions
When is Diwali 2026 in Canada?
Diwali (Lakshmi Puja) is on Sunday, November 8, 2026, the same day as Bandi Chhor Divas. Dhanteras is Friday, November 6 and Bhai Dooj is Tuesday, November 10.
When should I do my Diwali grocery shopping?
Buy shelf-stable items like atta, rice, dals, ghee, sugar and dry fruits the weekend before. Leave dairy, vegetables, fruit and flowers for November 6–7, and pre-order mithai midweek.
How do I find the cheapest ghee or atta near me?
Search the item in the free Flyerly app. It lists this week's prices from local shops near you, cheapest first, worked out per pound or litre so different bag sizes compare fairly.