Gift calendar

Every date worth sending something in 2026

19 occasions across the year, when each one falls, and what actually suits it.

10 still to come

Nearest first. The ones with a link are occasions we can already make something for.

Already been and gone

Still here for reference — and for anyone already looking at next year.

Which of these move, and why

Half this list is on a different calendar from the one on your wall, which is why the dates are worth checking rather than remembering.

Same date every year. Christmas, Independence Day, Teachers' Day, Children's Day, Valentine's Day. Diary them once.

Moves, but to a fixed rule. Mother's Day is the second Sunday of May, Father's Day the third Sunday of June, Friendship Day in India the first Sunday of August. Easter is the first Sunday after the first full moon following the March equinox, which is why it wanders by a month.

Moves with the lunar calendar. Raksha Bandhan, Navratri, Dussehra, Karva Chauth, Diwali and Holi fall on a tithi — a lunar day — rather than a fixed date, and the lunar and Gregorian calendars drift against each other. That is why Diwali can be October one year and November the next, and why these can shift by a day between regions. If travel depends on one, check it against a panchang set to your own city.

Questions

When is Raksha Bandhan 2026?
Friday, 28 August 2026. The muhurat and how it converts if you're abroad are on the Raksha Bandhan date page, which goes into it properly.
When is Diwali 2026?
Sunday, 8 November 2026, with Dhanteras opening the run on 6 November. It follows the lunar calendar, so it moves every year and can shift by a day regionally.
When is Karva Chauth 2026?
Thursday, 29 October 2026. Worth stating plainly because it is widely listed incorrectly — the fast is broken at moonrise, so the evening is already spoken for.
Why do the Indian festivals change date every year?
They're set by the Hindu lunar calendar and fall on a tithi — a lunar day — rather than a fixed date in the Gregorian one. The two calendars drift against each other, which is why Diwali can be October in one year and November in the next.
Can I schedule a gift to send on a particular date?
Not automatically — there's no scheduler. What you can do is make the gift early and hold the link until the morning, which is what most people do anyway. The link works the moment it exists.

While you're planning