The best Diwali gifts for 2025: 16 thoughtful ideas I’m loving this year

Diwali gifts are designed to spark joy. From a cult perfume to chocolate truffles, here are my favourite special occasion presents for friends and family

Diwali – the festival of lights – is marked in so many interesting ways. There’s a five-day celebration (beginning this year on Saturday 18 October) observed by Hindus, Jains and Sikhs across the world, where homes are decorated, candles are lit and families gather to root the year ahead in hope, accompanied by feasts and fun.

Another vital part of Diwali celebrations is gift-giving, a way of saying I wish you prosperity and joy for the year ahead. Usually, those gifts are new clothes or mithai – boxes of south Asian sweets. Increasingly, though, gifts are being chosen with more intention to honour the individual, while also wishing them well.