---
title: "Diwali, Hindu festival of lights, is celebrated by more than just Hindus"
description: "This week marks Diwali, the annual Hindu festival of lights. In the U.S., seven-in-ten Indian Americans say they celebrate the holiday."
date: "2014-10-22"
authors:
  - name: "Michael Lipka"
    job_title: "Associate Director, Research"
    link: "https://www.pewresearch.org/staff/michael-lipka/"
url: "https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2014/10/22/diwali-hindu-festival-of-lights-is-celebrated-by-more-than-just-hindus/"
categories:
  - "Hinduism"
  - "Religion & Politics"
---

# Diwali, Hindu festival of lights, is celebrated by more than just Hindus

[![New Moms 'Nesting' in Home States, by Race](https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2014/08/FT_14.08.19_inStateMoms_topTenRace.png?w=300)](https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2014/08/FT_14.08.19_inStateMoms_topTenRace.png)

![](https://assets.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2014/10/FT_14.10.22_diwali_640x320.jpg)
*(Photo by Praveen Bajpai/Hindustan Times via Getty Images)*

This week marks Diwali, the [annual Hindu festival of lights](http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/religion/hinduism/diwali.shtml). In India and elsewhere, the joyous holiday – a major event that coincides with the new year on some calendars – is often marked by gifts of dried fruit and nuts and the lighting of fireworks, lamps and other lights.

![](https://assets.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2014/10/FT_14.10.22_diwali_420px.png)

In the U.S., seven-in-ten Indian Americans say they celebrate Diwali, according to a 2012 [Pew Research Center survey](https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2012/07/19/asian-americans-a-mosaic-of-faiths-overview/) of Asian Americans. This includes most Indian-American Hindus (95%) and nearly half of those who are not Hindus (45%).

That survey found that about [half of Indian Americans (51%) identify as Hindus](https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2014/09/30/5-facts-about-indian-americans/), while 5% identify as Sikhs and 2% as Jains (two other religious groups that [also observe Diwali](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/10/21/diwali-2014_n_6022478.html?&ncid=tweetlnkushpmg00000055)). Most of the rest are Christians (18%), Muslims (10%) or people unaffiliated with any religion (10%).

[![Religious affiliation of Indian Americans](https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2014/10/FT_14.10.22_diwali_640px.png)](https://assets.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2014/10/FT_14.10.22_diwali_640px.png)

Hinduism has a strong cultural influence in India, where Hindus make up about [80% of the](https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2012/12/18/global-religious-landscape-hindu/) population. In India, many people who are not Hindus celebrate Diwali, much as [many non-Christians in the United States celebrate Christmas](https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2013/12/18/celebrating-christmas-and-the-holidays-then-and-now/).