Punjabi Festival Calendar 2027: Dates and the Greeting for Every Celebration, From Lohri to Gurpurab
Every Punjabi and Sikh festival in 2027 with its date and the Punjabi greeting to say: Lohri (14 Jan), Maghi (15 Jan), Guru Gobind Singh's Gurpurab, Basant Panchami (11 Feb), Holi and Hola Mohalla (22–23 Mar), Vaisakhi (14 Apr), Teeyan, Rakhdi, Dussehra, Karva Chauth, Diwali and Bandi Chhor Divas (29 Oct), Guru Nanak Gurpurab (14 Nov), plus the expected Eid dates, with Gurmukhi for each wish.
Here is every Punjabi and Sikh festival in 2027 in date order, with the greeting to say for each — because the pattern is always the same: [festival] diyan lakh lakh vadhaaiyan (ਦੀਆਂ ਲੱਖ ਲੱਖ ਵਧਾਈਆਂ, "a hundred thousand congratulations for…"), or the shorter [festival] mubarak. The big dates: Lohri on Thursday 14 January, Vaisakhi on Wednesday 14 April, Diwali and Bandi Chhor Divas on Friday 29 October, and Guru Nanak's Gurpurab on Sunday 14 November. Dates were checked against Drik Panchang and the main Sikh calendars in October 2026; the lunar festivals can shift by a day between calendars and time zones, so confirm the exact day with your gurdwara, mandir or mosque.
Punjabi Festivals in 2027, in Order
| Date | Festival | What it is | What to say |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thu 14 Jan | Lohri ਲੋਹੜੀ | Winter bonfire festival; first Lohri of babies and newlyweds | Lohri diyan lakh lakh vadhaaiyan ਲੋਹੜੀ ਦੀਆਂ ਲੱਖ ਲੱਖ ਵਧਾਈਆਂ — see Lohri wishes |
| Fri 15 Jan | Maghi / Makar Sankranti ਮਾਘੀ | First day of Magh; Sikhs remember the Chali Mukte at Muktsar; kheer for breakfast | Maghi diyan vadhaaiyan ਮਾਘੀ ਦੀਆਂ ਵਧਾਈਆਂ |
| Fri 15 Jan (5 Jan in the Nanakshahi calendar) | Guru Gobind Singh Ji's Prakash Purab | Birthday of the tenth Guru, founder of the Khalsa | Gurpurab diyan lakh lakh vadhaaiyan ਗੁਰਪੁਰਬ ਦੀਆਂ ਲੱਖ ਲੱਖ ਵਧਾਈਆਂ |
| Thu 11 Feb | Basant Panchami ਬਸੰਤ ਪੰਚਮੀ | Spring festival: yellow clothes, kites, sweet rice | Basant Panchami diyan vadhaaiyan ਬਸੰਤ ਪੰਚਮੀ ਦੀਆਂ ਵਧਾਈਆਂ |
| Tue 9 or Wed 10 Mar (moon-dependent) | Eid al-Fitr ਈਦ-ਉਲ-ਫ਼ਿਤਰ | End of Ramadan — for Pakistani-Punjabi and Muslim-Punjabi families | Eid mubarak ਈਦ ਮੁਬਾਰਕ |
| Sun 14 Mar | Nanakshahi New Year (1 Chet) | First day of the Sikh calendar; year 559 begins | Nave saal diyan vadhaaiyan ਨਵੇਂ ਸਾਲ ਦੀਆਂ ਵਧਾਈਆਂ |
| Mon 22 Mar | Holi ਹੋਲੀ | Festival of colours (Holika Dahan the evening before) | Holi diyan lakh lakh vadhaaiyan / Holi mubarak ਹੋਲੀ ਮੁਬਾਰਕ |
| Tue 23 Mar (about three days) | Hola Mohalla ਹੋਲਾ ਮਹੱਲਾ | Sikh martial festival at Anandpur Sahib: gatka, horsemanship, kirtan | Hola Mohalla diyan vadhaaiyan ਹੋਲਾ ਮਹੱਲਾ ਦੀਆਂ ਵਧਾਈਆਂ |
| Wed 14 Apr | Vaisakhi / Khalsa Sajna Divas ਵਿਸਾਖੀ | Harvest, Punjabi new year and the founding of the Khalsa (1699) | Vaisakhi diyan lakh lakh vadhaaiyan ਵਿਸਾਖੀ ਦੀਆਂ ਲੱਖ ਲੱਖ ਵਧਾਈਆਂ — see Vaisakhi wishes |
| Sun 16 or Mon 17 May (moon-dependent) | Eid al-Adha ਈਦ-ਉਲ-ਅਜ਼ਹਾ | The festival of sacrifice | Eid mubarak ਈਦ ਮੁਬਾਰਕ |
| Wed 16 Jun | Guru Arjan Dev Ji's Shaheedi Divas | Martyrdom of the fifth Guru; chhabeel stalls of cold sweet drink are set up for everyone | A day of remembrance, not congratulation — say Dhan Guru Arjan Dev Ji or simply help at a chhabeel |
| Wed 4 Aug | Teeyan / Hariyali Teej ਤੀਆਂ | Women's monsoon festival of Sawan: swings, gidda, mehndi | Teeyan diyan vadhaaiyan ਤੀਆਂ ਦੀਆਂ ਵਧਾਈਆਂ |
| Mon 16 or Tue 17 Aug (calendars differ) | Rakhdi / Raksha Bandhan ਰੱਖੜੀ | Sisters tie a thread on brothers' wrists | Rakhdi diyan vadhaaiyan ਰੱਖੜੀ ਦੀਆਂ ਵਧਾਈਆਂ |
| Wed 1 Sep | Pehla Prakash Purab of Guru Granth Sahib | Anniversary of the scripture's first installation at Harmandir Sahib (1604) | Gurpurab diyan lakh lakh vadhaaiyan |
| Sat 9 Oct | Dussehra ਦੁਸਹਿਰਾ | Ram's victory over Ravan; effigies burned | Dussehre diyan vadhaaiyan ਦੁਸਹਿਰੇ ਦੀਆਂ ਵਧਾਈਆਂ |
| Mon 18 Oct | Karva Chauth ਕਰਵਾ ਚੌਥ | Married women's fast for their husbands, broken at moonrise | Karva Chauth diyan vadhaaiyan ਕਰਵਾ ਚੌਥ ਦੀਆਂ ਵਧਾਈਆਂ |
| Fri 29 Oct (Thu 28 Oct in North American Pacific time; some calendars list the 28th) | Diwali and Bandi Chhor Divas ਦੀਵਾਲੀ / ਬੰਦੀ ਛੋੜ ਦਿਵਸ | Festival of lights; Sikhs mark Guru Hargobind's release from Gwalior Fort | Diwali diyan lakh lakh vadhaaiyan / Bandi Chhor Divas diyan vadhaaiyan — see Diwali and Bandi Chhor wishes |
| Sun 14 Nov | Guru Nanak Dev Ji's Gurpurab ਗੁਰਪੁਰਬ | Birthday of the founder of Sikhism; the biggest Gurpurab | Gurpurab diyan lakh lakh vadhaaiyan — see Gurpurab wishes |
| Wed 24 Nov | Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji's Shaheedi Divas | Martyrdom of the ninth Guru in Delhi (1675) | A day of remembrance — Dhan Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji |
| Sat 25 Dec | Christmas ਕ੍ਰਿਸਮਸ | For Punjabi Christians and, in the diaspora, everyone | Christmas diyan vadhaaiyan / Merry Christmas ji |
| Sat 1 Jan 2028 | New Year | — | Nava saal mubarak ਨਵਾਂ ਸਾਲ ਮੁਬਾਰਕ — see Happy New Year in Punjabi |
The Greeting Pattern
Two formulas cover the whole year. [Festival] diyan lakh lakh vadhaaiyan — literally "a hundred thousand congratulations of [festival]" — is the warm, traditional one; [festival] mubarak is the short one, and the only one used for Eid (Eid mubarak, never Eid diyan vadhaaiyan). Add tuhanu te tuhade parivaar nu ("to you and your family") at the front for a message, and reply to any of them with tuhanu vi, "to you too". Martyrdom days (Shaheedi Divas) are the exception: nothing is "happy" about them, and the right response is quiet remembrance or Dhan Guru …, "blessed is the Guru". The grammar behind diyan vadhaaiyan is in congratulations in Punjabi.
Whose Festival Is It?
| Community | Festivals | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Everyone in Punjab | Lohri, Maghi, Basant Panchami, Vaisakhi, Teeyan, Diwali | Seasonal and harvest festivals predate the religions and are shared across them |
| Sikh | Gurpurabs (Guru Nanak, Guru Gobind Singh, the Guru Granth Sahib), Hola Mohalla, Bandi Chhor Divas, Vaisakhi as Khalsa Sajna Divas, the two Shaheedi Divas | Marked at the gurdwara with Akhand Path, kirtan, Nagar Kirtan and langar |
| Hindu Punjabi | Holi, Rakhdi, Dussehra, Karva Chauth, Diwali, Navratri | Many Sikh families also tie rakhdi and keep Karva Chauth as cultural customs |
| Muslim Punjabi | Eid al-Fitr, Eid al-Adha, Ramadan, Muharram | Dates follow the Islamic lunar calendar and the moon sighting |
| Christian Punjabi | Christmas, Easter (Sun 28 Mar 2027) | Punjabi Christians are a sizeable community in both Punjabs |
How the language, the region and the religions fit together is explained in Punjabi vs Sikh.
Why the Dates Move
Lohri, Maghi and Vaisakhi follow the sun and barely move (13–15 January, 13–14 April). Diwali, Holi, Gurpurabs and most Hindu festivals follow the lunar Bikrami calendar and shift by up to a month from year to year; Eid follows the Islamic lunar calendar and the moon sighting, so it moves about eleven days earlier each year and is announced the night before. The Sikh Nanakshahi calendar (adopted 2003) fixes some Sikh dates to the solar year — Vaisakhi on 14 April, Guru Gobind Singh's birthday on 5 January — while the SGPC's working calendar keeps others, including Guru Nanak's Gurpurab and Bandi Chhor Divas, on the lunar dates. This is why your gurdwara's noticeboard and a website may disagree by a day; the noticeboard wins.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the main Punjabi festivals?
Lohri (January), Vaisakhi (April), Teeyan (August), Diwali and Bandi Chhor Divas (October–November) and Guru Nanak's Gurpurab (November) are the biggest, with Basant Panchami, Holi and Hola Mohalla, Rakhdi, Dussehra and Karva Chauth also widely celebrated, and the two Eids in Muslim Punjabi families.
When is Vaisakhi in 2027?
Wednesday 14 April 2027. Diaspora Nagar Kirtans are held on the nearest weekends.
When is Diwali in 2027?
Friday 29 October 2027 in India (Thursday 28 October in North American Pacific time; some calendars list the 28th). Bandi Chhor Divas is the same day.
How do you wish someone a happy festival in Punjabi?
Name the festival and add diyan lakh lakh vadhaaiyan — Vaisakhi diyan lakh lakh vadhaaiyan — or mubarak: Diwali mubarak, Eid mubarak. Reply with tuhanu vi.
A Greeting for Every Festival
Twenty festivals, one language — learn it before the first one arrives. Alfaazo teaches everyday Punjabi with native audio, the Gurmukhi script and bite-sized lessons you can finish in five minutes a day. Free on iOS and Android.
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