If your calendar has felt a little off this year, you're not imagining it. Ganesh Chaturthi arrived in mid-September instead of late August. Navratri starts on 11 October. And Diwali, the night most of us plan the whole year around, lands on Sunday, 8 November.

The reason is Adhik Maas, an extra lunar month that gets added every few years to keep the Hindu calendar in step with the seasons. In 2026 it came between May and June, and every festival after it shifted about 19 to 20 days later than in 2025.

For most families that means one thing: the gifting season is longer, and it's spread across six festivals in five weeks. You can panic-buy the same dry fruit box six times. Or you can pick one small, useful thing for each occasion and be done early.

The season, one festival at a time

Dates follow the most widely used panchang listings for India. Your family or local temple may observe a day earlier or later, so check before you plan.

1. From Sunday, 11 October

   Navratri

   Nine nights of garba, fasting and new outfits. We've already written a full guide for this one, with a different sustainable swap for each day's colour.

   Read: 9 Days, 9 Colours, 9 Sustainable Swaps Guide Our garba-ready bamboo calendar for all nine days.
2. Tuesday, 20 October

   Dussehra

   Dussehra is when a lot of people start something new: a business, a job, a fresh notebook. In parts of South India, Ayudha Puja around this time honours the tools people work with. A gift for the desk fits that spirit perfectly.

   Office Combo, Bamboo Essentials Set ₹2,199₹1,889 Diary, mug, pen and water bottle. For the person starting a new job or a new chapter.
3. Thursday, 29 October

   Karwa Chauth

   A full day of fasting, then mehndi, the sargi basket and the moon. Most gifts on this day are about care and grooming, so pick something she'll reach for every morning.

   Women's Everyday Essentials Hamper ₹399₹299 Oval comb, lily comb, shampoo comb and a loofah. Slips easily into the sargi basket. Paddle Brush Combo ₹599₹459 Bamboo paddle brushes for long hair, and a nicer thing to unwrap after moonrise.
4. Friday, 6 November

   Dhanteras

   Gold and silver get the headlines, but new utensils and even a new broom are classic Dhanteras buys too. The thinking is simple: bring something fresh into the home. Most of those old brooms and baskets were bamboo in the first place. This year, refresh the one thing every family member touches twice a day.

   Morning Ritual Kit ₹399₹249 5 bamboo toothbrushes, a tongue cleaner and toothpaste. One kit covers the whole family. Bamboo Toothbrush with Holder Set ₹199₹149 The smallest possible Dhanteras upgrade, and it stays on the bathroom shelf all year.
5. Sunday, 8 November

   Diwali

   The night of visits, hosts, relatives, neighbours and clients. This is where one considered hamper does more than five boxes of sweets that all get re-gifted by Monday.

   The Trio Eco Gift Hamper ₹1,699₹1,499 Comb, diary and tumbler. Works for a host, a boss, a favourite client or your in-laws.

   Gifting a whole team? Our Diwali employee gifting guide covers budgets, bulk timelines and tax rules.

6. Wednesday, 11 November

   Bhai Dooj

   The quiet last day of the season. Tilak, aarti, a long lunch and an exchange of gifts between siblings. Some calendars place it on the 10th, so check with your family.

   Bamboo Razor, 4 Blade (for him) ₹299 A proper everyday razor with a bamboo handle instead of a plastic one. Paddle Brush Combo (for her) ₹599₹459 If you missed Karwa Chauth, this one works for sisters too.

Prices are as listed on bambooedge.com on 30 September 2026 and may change. Please check the product page for the current price.

Every pick, sorted by budget

If you'd rather shop by how much you want to spend, here's the same list in one place.

Orders above ₹699 ship free on bambooedge.com, so two smaller gifts in one order often works out better.

Wrap it without the plastic

A bamboo gift in a shiny plastic wrap undoes half the point. Three easy fixes most homes already have the material for:

Use cloth. An old dupatta or a cotton napkin tied the furoshiki way looks more festive than any gift paper, and the person gets to keep it.

Reuse boxes. Sweet boxes, shoe boxes and shipping cartons all work with a bit of twine and a handwritten tag.

Tuck in something that grows. A marigold from the puja thali or a few tulsi seeds in a paper twist turns the wrapping into part of the gift.

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