Diwali 2025: Key financial lessons you can learn from festive activities

Diwali is less than a week away now, and the vibes are already festive. The month of October brings many delightful festivals, and becomes a period when everyone is joyously waiting to start a new financial year with a bang.

The festival of Diwali spans over 2-3 days, with different religious ceremonies for different days, including Dhanteras, Chhoti Diwali and Bhaidooj. There is also a tradition of Muhurat Trading in India, which is a one-hour symbolic trading session. Traders believe that investments during this one hour bring wealth and prosperity for the entire year.

People associate Diwali with a reset of their financial activities and their full life in general, and do many things to start the new cycle auspiciously. From deep cleaning their houses to decorating them, and from buying new things to starting new ventures, Diwali brings many new beginnings. Here are some interesting investing lessons you can take from various activities around Diwali:

Cleaning

While Diwali is infamous for house cleaning, as we clean our homes to remove dust and negativity to make space for positive energy, you can also take this opportunity to do financial decluttering.

• Check your budget and finances and eliminate unnecessary expenses and unused subscriptions.
• Review your financial goals for the year and ensure your strategy is working for you.
• Analyse your portfolio to see if you have diversified enough. A clutter-free portfolio brings clarity.

Lakshmi Puja

On Diwali, we worship Goddess Lakshmi, but wealth is more about prosperity than just money. This Diwali:

• Set clear goals to save and invest with purpose. Without a goal, you won’t have the desired motivation to build wealth.
• Budget wisely and avoid impulsive spending.
• Build discipline in money activities by starting SIPs and ensuring insurance protection.

Rangoli and decorations

When you decorate your house this year by making a vibrant Rangoli and lighting diyas, pay attention to what it can mean for your finances. Rangolis are made of diverse colors and patterns that come together in perfect balance, which is exactly what you need to do for a good investment portfolio.

• Diversity ensures stability; diversify your portfolio to maximise and balance gains by investing in more asset classes like equities, debt, gold, etc.
• Practise patience and discipline. Just like you need to be careful and patient while making a Rangoli, be patient with investments to build long-term wealth.

Financial well-being

Diwali, as a festival, symbolises the victory of good over evil and light over darkness. Consider it a symbol of knowledge over ignorance as well, and:

• Make yourself more financially aware.

• Avoid impulsive trades and herd behaviour.

• Help your friends and family to become financially literate and start investing.

• Share knowledge, along with gifts, to give more meaningful gifts.

Apart from all this, remember to invest in your relationships to achieve true wealth. After a point, money stops mattering. No matter how much you achieve in life, it’s better to have your loved ones along for the ride. An individual's true wealth is measured in meaningful connections, so spend time with your loved ones and celebrate Diwali with your family.