Diwali quiz questions with answers
Diwali 2026 is on Sunday, November 8. A quiz is an easy way to get the whole family playing together between dinner and the fireworks: the kids know the Ramayana from school, the grandparents know the customs, and everyone has opinions about the best mithai. Answers are in bold, so cover them if you're reading off a phone.
The questions
For kids
- Diwali is known as the festival of what? Answer: Lights
- What are the small clay oil lamps lit on Diwali called? Answer: Diyas
- What are the colorful patterns made on the floor with colored powder or flowers called? Answer: Rangoli
- Which goddess of wealth and good fortune is worshipped on Diwali night? Answer: Goddess Lakshmi
- Which elephant-headed god is worshipped alongside Lakshmi? Answer: Lord Ganesha
- In the Ramayana, which city did Lord Rama return to on Diwali? Answer: Ayodhya
- Which demon king did Rama defeat before coming home? Answer: Ravana
- Who came home to Ayodhya with Rama? Answer: Sita and Lakshmana
The five days and what they mean
- What does the word Deepavali mean? Answer: A row of lamps
- How many days does Diwali usually last? Answer: Five
- What is the first day called, when many families buy gold, silver or new utensils? Answer: Dhanteras
- What is the day before the main Diwali night often called? Answer: Choti Diwali (Naraka Chaturdashi)
- Which demon did Lord Krishna defeat, celebrated on Naraka Chaturdashi? Answer: Narakasura
- On which night of the moon does Diwali fall? Answer: The new moon night (Amavasya)
- Which day near the end of Diwali celebrates brothers and sisters? Answer: Bhai Dooj
Diwali across faiths and places
- Sikhs celebrate Bandi Chhor Divas at Diwali. Which Guru's release from Gwalior Fort does it mark? Answer: Guru Hargobind
- For Jains, Diwali marks the nirvana of which Tirthankara? Answer: Lord Mahavira
- In West Bengal, which goddess is worshipped on Diwali night? Answer: Goddess Kali (Kali Puja)
- In which country is Diwali called Tihar, with a whole day that honors dogs? Answer: Nepal
- Which English city is famous for one of the biggest Diwali celebrations outside India? Answer: Leicester
- In which Caribbean country is Divali a public holiday, with the Divali Nagar festival? Answer: Trinidad and Tobago
- Which US city's public schools started closing for Diwali in the 2023-24 school year? Answer: New York City
Sweets, snacks and fun
- What is the Hindi word for the sweets families give each other at Diwali? Answer: Mithai
- Which sweet is fried milk balls soaked in sugar syrup? Answer: Gulab jamun
- Which diamond-shaped cashew sweet is a Diwali box favorite? Answer: Kaju katli
- What is the thin edible silver foil on top of some sweets called? Answer: Vark (or varq)
- Which crunchy spiral snack is made at Diwali in Maharashtra and South India? Answer: Chakli (or murukku)
- What are hand-held sparklers called in Hindi? Answer: Phuljhadi
- Which three-card game is a classic at Diwali card parties? Answer: Teen Patti
- Which card game is played with 13 cards and needs a pure sequence to win? Answer: 13-card Indian Rummy
How to play these on the TV
Reading questions out works, but buzzers make it a proper game. On Hangtime you can turn any of these into a category for Trivia Board, our free Jeopardy-style game:
- Go to hangtime.games/make and type in five clues, easiest to hardest. It's free and takes a few minutes.
- Open hangtime.games/trivia-tv on the TV and add your category to the board. Bollywood Gaane is already on there for the music fans.
- Everyone joins at hangtime.games/play on their phone and buzzes in. Little kids can team up with a grandparent on one phone.
Tips for a Diwali quiz
- Kids' round first. The little ones get a few points before the aunties take over.
- Add a family round. Questions about your own family's Diwalis (who burnt the rangoli, whose laddoos always crumble) are always the favorite.
- Turn on Diwali mode. This week Hangtime offers a Diwali theme with diyas and gold sparkles on the TV and every phone.
- Then deal the cards. If your family does a card party after, Hangtime has 13-card Rummy for points, with each hand private on its own phone. Here are the rules, simply explained.
Want more ideas for the night? See our Diwali party games for the whole family, Indian party games for every age, and Bollywood trivia questions.
Type in five clues and play them on the TV with phones as buzzers. Free, no account for players.
Make a Diwali categoryNo group handy? Try Wordy Birdy solo, free, in 10 seconds →Questions
What are easy Diwali quiz questions for kids?
Ask what Diwali is the festival of (lights), what the clay lamps are called (diyas), which goddess is worshipped (Lakshmi) and which city Rama returned to (Ayodhya).
When is Diwali in 2026?
The main Diwali night, Lakshmi Puja, is on Sunday, November 8, 2026. Dhanteras is two days earlier.
How many days is Diwali?
Five: Dhanteras, Choti Diwali, Lakshmi Puja, Govardhan Puja and Bhai Dooj. Customs vary by region.
How can we play a Diwali quiz with buzzers?
Make a free trivia category at hangtime.games/make and play it on the TV with Trivia Board. Everyone buzzes in from their phone.