HR teams, office managers and employee resource groups often get the same request every autumn: can we do something for Diwali? The answer is usually a short afternoon celebration with lamps, rangoli, sweets, and a few photos. This invitation is built for that event. It looks festive enough to get people excited and organised enough to tell them exactly what is happening and when.
Office Diwali Planning Checklist
Use this list while you prepare the invitation and the event. Tick each item before you send the invite to the whole company.
- Confirm the date with leadership and check that it does not clash with deadlines or other events.
- Book the space: a lounge, cafeteria, or large meeting room with a floor area for rangoli.
- Agree on the budget for sweets, snacks, decorations, and small prizes.
- Check fire safety rules before planning real diyas. Many offices only allow LED lamps.
- Find two or three colleagues who celebrate Diwali to help shape the programme.
- Plan for dietary needs: vegetarian, vegan, nut-free, and food that suits people who are fasting.
- Decide whether remote staff will join by video or receive a sweet box at home.
- Fill in the invitation, send it at least two weeks ahead, and set an RSVP date.
What the Invitation Looks Like
The 5 x 7 inch portrait card is split in two. The top part is a deep teal band with a scalloped lower edge. A red and gold hexagonal lantern with a glowing lattice hangs on the right, and short marigold strands hang at both edges. On the left, a small capital line names the team and company, then Team Diwali Celebration is set in large white DM Serif Display, with Light up the office with us in gold italic beneath.
The lower part is clean white. Three facts sit in a row (WHEN, TIME, WHERE) with small teal labels. Below them is a real table with the afternoon’s agenda, then a note about clothing and food, the RSVP line, two small diyas, and the Office Templates Online mark.
Run of Show for an Office Diwali Afternoon
The table on the invitation is an editable Table object in the editor, filled with a sample programme. Here it is with notes on what each slot involves, so you can adapt it to your office.
| Time | Activity | Organiser notes |
|---|---|---|
| 3:00 PM | Welcome and diya lighting | A short welcome by a leader, then a colleague explains the festival in two minutes |
| 3:30 PM | Rangoli contest by team | Give each team a floor square, chalk or coloured powder, and 30 minutes |
| 4:15 PM | Chai, snacks and sweets | Order samosas, dhokla and a sweet box; label every dish |
| 5:00 PM | Festive wear parade and prizes | Keep it optional and light-hearted; small prizes for rangoli winners |
| 5:45 PM | Group photo and goodbye | Take the photo in front of the best rangoli |
Editing the Agenda Table
Double-click the table, or choose Edit Table Data, to type into the cells. To add another activity, use the + Row button in the table tools; to remove one, use the remove row option. The time column and the activity column share the width of the card, so keep each activity to about 30 characters to avoid wrapping. The header row is teal with white text and the rows alternate white and a very pale teal; you can change these colours in the table settings to match your brand.
Filling In the Facts Row
The WHEN, TIME, and WHERE labels each have a value underneath. Click a value to type your own. The sample uses Friday, November 6, because Diwali falls on Sunday, November 8, 2026, and offices usually celebrate on the last working day before it. If your office is closed that Friday, hold the celebration earlier in the week. For hybrid teams, choose a day when most people are in the office.
Making the Celebration Inclusive
An office Diwali event works best when it welcomes everyone, whether or not they celebrate. A few ideas:
- Invite colleagues who celebrate to share what Diwali means to their family, but never put anyone on the spot.
- Remember that Diwali is also observed by Sikh, Jain, and some Buddhist communities, each with their own meaning for the day.
- Make festive clothing optional and say so on the invitation, as the sample does with Wear something festive.
- Offer vegetarian food by default, and label anything containing nuts, dairy, or gluten.
- Avoid alcohol at a daytime office event; chai, lassi, and juices fit the festival better.
- Send remote colleagues a short video link or a small box of sweets so they are not left out.
Changing the Look to Match Your Brand
Click the teal band to change it to your company’s primary colour. Dark colours work best because the title is white. Update the colour of the WHEN, TIME and WHERE labels and the italic note to match. The lantern and garlands are editable vectors, so you can recolour their swatches, for example, turning the red lantern into your brand’s accent colour. Replace the line HR and People Team, Brightstar Solutions with your team and company name.
Sharing the Invitation at Work
Most office invitations travel digitally. Download a PNG and paste it into an email, a Teams or Slack announcement, or the intranet news page. Include the key facts in the text of the message too, so people can search for them later and screen readers can read them. Download a PDF to print a few copies for notice boards, kitchen areas and lifts; it prints well on ordinary office printers since the lower half is white.
Office Diwali Invitation Questions
Can I use this for a school or community centre?
Yes. Change the team line to your school or organisation, adjust the agenda to suit students, and replace the RSVP email.
Can I add our logo?
Add a shape from the Elements panel in the space at the bottom right of the teal band, use Replace Image to place your logo in it, and resize it to sit level with the title.
Can the table have more columns?
Yes, add a column in Edit Table Data, for example, a Location column if activities happen in different rooms. Narrow the activity text if you do.
Bring the Festival of Lights to Work
Fill in your date, room, and agenda, send the invitation two weeks ahead, and order the sweets. A well-planned hour of lamps, colour and chai can become one of the most loved events in the office calendar.
