Sunday marks Diwali, or the Festival of Lights, for millions of people around the world. Often referred to as the ‘Festival of Growth’ in India, it is the time of peak festival shopping when big brands launch their most ambitious products and advertising agencies release the most creative storytelling with high end festive emotions.

The season is the centre of Indian commerce, where cultural celebrations create a boost for the economy.

As the Indian diaspora expands globally, this festive economic surge is no longer confined to the subcontinent — it is rapidly becoming a borderless retail and cultural phenomenon.

The car-buying trend during Diwali in India has crossed borders to Canada. A number of GTA car dealerships are leaning towards the festive buying trends with purchase offers and other incentives, like what Performance Auto Group in Ontario is doing, offering participating customers a one-ounce silver coin with the purchase or lease of a vehicle.

Indo-Canadian cultural commentator Darshan Maharaja points to the clothes, gifts and sweets people buy, along with promotions from major retailers, as signs of how visible Diwali has become in Canada’s shopping calendar.

“In a way, one can say that the Christmas spending season starts one month early because of Diwali,” he tells OMNI News in an email.

A month of different festivities lead up to the auspicious day, and one such day is Dhanteras – which roughly translates to the Day of Wealth. On this day Indian families buy gold or silver, while another holiday tradition comes in the form of a box of Mithai, or South Asian sweets, to share with friends and family.

Though the affordability crisis has placed a tight squeeze on Canadian household budgets, families will not cancel Diwali; instead, they alter how they spend.

“People used to buy bigger products, now they are buying smaller things, but they are buying more of them,” said Vikram Rana, owner of Rana Jewelers in Brampton.

At the same time, some businesses are seeing the real impacts of global uncertainty.

“We used to get quite a lot of orders during the festive season, but now the orders have almost gone down 50 per cent,” said Soumya, who runs a small South Asian restaurant in downtown Toronto. She tells OMNI News that rising costs and changes to immigration, including fewer international students, has affected their business.

In Canada, about 828,000 people reported Hinduism as their religion in the 2021 census. About 772,000 reported Sikhism and 8,300 reported Jainism. Diwali is a major Hindu festival, but at the same time, Sikhs mark Bandi Chhor Divas and Jains observe Mahavir Diwas, distinct religious occasions that also have traditions involving light.

Ontario’s Ministry of Tourism, gaming and culture told OMNI News that the province’s diversity attracts visitors who stay in local accommodations, dine at restaurants, shop at local businesses and support main street economies.

“Since 2018, approximately $520,000 in funding support has been provided through Experience Ontario to Diwali-related festivals and events. Festivals and events supported through Experience Ontario help communities attract visitors who stay in local accommodations, dine at restaurants, shop at local businesses and support main street economies,” they said in a statement.

In Toronto, the celebrations began weeks before the main holiday. At Nathan Phillips Square, the Diwali Festival of Lights brought music, dance and vendors selling food and clothing to the city’s downtown before closing with fireworks on October 25. Another celebration at Mel Lastman Square featured 50 vendors and more than 150 performers. And Brampton, the Canadian city with the largest South Asian population, is hosting a Diwali Mela on November 8.