The U.S. and Diwali: How one state embraced this season of new beginnings

Nov 2, 2024

2 min read

As we grow closer to the end of October, don’t get caught up in all the ghoulish gossip focused on Halloween. Jack O’ Lanterns aren't the only kind of lights around as over 1 billion people worldwide prepare to celebrate Diwali, the festival of light.

Spanning across most of Southern Asia, the holiday is celebrated by Buddhists, Hindus, Jains, and Sikhs alike. In 2022, the PEW Research Center estimated that 4.8 million Indian Americans lived in the United States, with ⅔ having a strong connection towards Hinduism.

Although not recognized as an official holiday in most states, it’s no surprise that Diwali has become more popularly celebrated nationwide. This year, the festival will span from October 29th to November 3rd, with Diwali falling on October 31st.

Deeply rooted in various Indian religions and mythology, Diwali spans a five-day period and marks the celebration of light defeating darkness. Meant to encourage wealth and prosperity, the festivities include:

Traditional Diyas

Holiday Lights

Gift Exchanges

Foods and Desserts

Fireworks

Looking for some delicious Diwali snacks and desserts? Remember to enjoy the world's largest-selling biscuit Parle-G this festival season.

Click here for various Gulab Jamun recipes, a delicious traditional Indian dessert to share with friends and family.

As the festival season is underway across the world, Diwali received an especially warm welcome this year in the state of Pennsylvania.

The signed Senate Bill 402 recognizes Diwali as an official state holiday and further supports the state’s cultural diversity.

According to local news station WJAC Johnstown and NBC News, Pennsylvanian Governor Josh Shapiro signed a new bill into law on October 21st, 2024.

As of 2024, only 6% of Pennsylvanians celebrate non-Christian holidays, but remember that the state has a population of around 13 million – that 6% represents over 700,000 residents.

Diwali’s celebration of good fortune encourages customers and businesses alike to try new things. With the potential for increased influx of consumers, larger retailers are jumping headfirst into embracing our cultural diversity.

Simply searching ‘Diwali’ on Walmart’s website leads to a page with over 900 results.

Since the COVID-19 Pandemic, online shopping around the world has become the go-to way to purchase from holiday festivities and groceries to digital window shopping.

A 2022 report from Redseer estimated a total GMV of 5.9 billion U.S. dollars for India’s online retail market. The GMV growth has been increasing at rates between 24% and 37%.

Because Diwali is a time of prosperity and new beginnings, consumer purchases tend to reflect these values. Here are the top seven trends from 2023 to look out for this year:

Online Shopping
Eco-Friendly
Local Businesses
Online Fashion Retailers
Health (Fitness and Diet)
Personalization
Home and Decor

Attention small and local businesses!

If you are looking to boost audience engagement, Diwali is the perfect opportunity to gain company exposure while celebrating our cultural diversity. Here are some useful online advertising tactics to consider: