Diwali and Festival Season Health and Safety Guide (2026)

Medically reviewed by Dr. Ritesh Patel (Critical Care Specialist), Dr. Sunil Gurmukhani (Consultant Cardiologist) and Dr. Karmay Shah (Consultant Pulmonologist), Health1 Super Speciality Hospitals, Shilaj, Ahmedabad | Last updated: 21 October 2026

Emergency numbers (India): 112 (all emergencies) | 108 (ambulance) | 101 (fire) | 100 (police) | Health1 Emergency: 079 6999 6999 (24×7). Emergency services at Health1 are available 24 x 7 during Diwali week.

Contents

• Diwali 2026 dates
• Safe firecrackers: rules that prevent most injuries
• First aid for firecracker burns
• Firecracker eye injuries: what to do (and not do)
• Pollution and breathing: asthma, children, elderly
• Festival diet: eat well without missing the sweets
• Exercise during the festival season
• Emergencies during the festival: heart attack, stroke, choking, food poisoning, home fire
• CPR: how to save a life with your hands
• Sleep, stress and family: the overlooked part
• Holiday travel checklist
• Frequently asked questions

1. Diwali 2026 dates

Dates are from a published panchang guide; muhurat times differ by city.

2. Safe firecrackers: rules that prevent most injuries

Diya, candle and lighting safety

• Place diyas on a stable, non-flammable base, away from curtains, sarees and decorations.
• Never leave a lit diya, candle or incense unattended, especially when you go out or sleep.
• Use LED lights from a certified source, and do not overload sockets with decorative lights.
• Keep a fire extinguisher or a bucket of water in the kitchen and near the puja area.

3. First aid for firecracker burns

1. Stop the burning. Move away from the cracker. If clothes are on fire: stop, drop to the ground and roll, or smother the flames with a blanket. Do not run.
2. Cool the burn. Hold under cool running tap water for 20 minutes. Do not use ice, iced water or very cold water.
3. Remove jewellery, watches and loose clothing near the burn before it swells. Do not pull off clothing stuck to the skin.
4. Cover loosely. Use cling film (lay it lengthwise, do not wrap it tightly) or a clean, dry, non-fluffy cloth.
5. Treat pain. Use paracetamol if the person has no allergy and the dose is right for age and weight. Ask a doctor about children.
6. Get medical help (see the table below).

4. Firecracker eye injuries: what to do (and not do)

5. Pollution and breathing: asthma, children, elderly

• Check the AQI on a trusted app or official site. On “poor” or worse days, cut outdoor exercise and time outdoors, especially early morning and late evening.
• Wear a well-fitted N95 or equivalent mask outdoors when AQI is high or near smoke. Ordinary cloth or surgical masks do not filter fine smoke particles well.
• Keep windows closed during cracker hours; use an air purifier if you have one; avoid burning incense or mosquito coils in closed rooms.
• If you have asthma or COPD, carry your reliever inhaler, keep taking your preventer, avoid smoke exposure, and follow your doctor’s action plan. Seek medical help for increasing breathlessness, wheeze, chest tightness or a reliever that gives less relief.
• Children, pregnant women, the elderly and heart patients are more sensitive. Keep them away from smoke and loud noise.
• Protect hearing: loud cracker noise can damage ears. Keep a distance and avoid very loud crackers near babies and elderly people. See an ENT doctor for ringing, pain or hearing loss after an explosion.
• After the festival: a sore throat, cough, burning eyes or headaches for a few days can follow smoke exposure. Rest, drink fluids and see a doctor if symptoms persist or worsen.
• For any cough and breathlessness lasting more than 6-8 weeks, see a pulmonologist to rule out and manage a possible chronic disease.

6. Festival diet: eat well without missing the sweets

10 simple rules for the festival week

1. Never go to a feast hungry. Eat a normal meal or a snack (fruit, nuts, curd) before a party so you do not overeat.
2. Half-plate rule. Fill half the plate with salad and vegetables, a quarter with protein (dal, paneer, egg, chicken, fish), a quarter with roti or rice. Then add one or two sweets.
3. Small portions, slowly. One or two pieces of mithai, not a plate. Enjoy it, and stop when satisfied.
4. Choose smarter options. Roasted or baked snacks instead of deep fried; dry-fruit and nut-based sweets in small amounts; jaggery or fruit-based dessert in moderation; homemade where possible. “Sugar-free” sweets still contain calories and fat.
5. Drink water and have fluids between meals; limit sugary drinks, aerated drinks and alcohol.
6. Do not skip meals to “save space”. It leads to overeating and sugar spikes.
7. Go easy on salt. Namkeen, chips, papad and pickles are high in salt, which matters for blood pressure and heart patients.
8. Eat dinner early and light, at least 2 to 3 hours before sleep.
9. Walk after meals for 10 to 15 minutes.
10. Be careful with alcohol. It adds calories, affects sleep and sugar control, interacts with medicines, and is a major cause of accidents. Never drink and drive.

Special advice by condition

Food safety during the festival

• Buy mithai from reputable shops; be careful about unusually cheap khoya or mawa, silver-leaf (vark) of unknown source, and bright artificial colours. Adulteration is more common in the festive peak.
• Milk-based sweets spoil quickly. Keep them in the fridge and finish within about one to two days.
• Wash hands before cooking and eating; keep raw and cooked foods separate; reheat leftovers thoroughly.
• Avoid street food and unsafe water if you have a weak stomach, and drink bottled or boiled water when travelling.
• For vomiting, loose stools or fever after a meal: take ORS and fluids and see a doctor if it lasts more than a day, if there is blood, severe pain, or signs of dehydration (very dry mouth, little urine, dizziness). Go to emergency for children, elderly people or high fever.

After Diwali: gentle reset (no crash diets)

• Return to normal meal timings and portion sizes. Do not starve or “detox”.
• Drink water, eat more vegetables, fruit and protein, and sleep well.
• Take a 30-minute walk daily, and check weight, sugar and BP in a week or two if you are at risk.

7. Exercise during the festival season

• A 10-minute walk after each big meal helps digestion and blood sugar.
• Fit in a 30-minute walk, a home workout or yoga early in the day before the festivities, if the air quality is acceptable. On poor-AQI days, exercise indoors.
• Family activity: walk to relatives’ homes, dance (garba is real exercise), play with children.
• Lifting and cleaning safety: bend your knees, avoid lifting heavy items alone, use a stable ladder when hanging lights. Falls from stools and ladders are a common festival injury.
• Warm up before suddenly doing a lot (garba, long standing, shopping). Stop and rest if you feel chest pain, breathlessness, dizziness or palpitations.
• If you have heart disease, uncontrolled blood pressure or diabetes complications, keep to the activity level your doctor has approved.
• Joint pain or knee problems: choose low-impact exercise like cycling, swimming or walking on flat ground, and see an orthopaedic doctor if pain limits your activity.

8. Emergencies during the festival

Other common festival injuries

• Falls and fractures from ladders, stools, stairs and crowded places: do not move the person if neck or back injury is suspected; support the limb; call for help.
• Cuts and wounds: press with a clean cloth to stop bleeding; wash with clean water; see a doctor for deep cuts or if the wound is dirty. Ask about tetanus protection.
• Hearing injury and smoke inhalation: see section 5.
• Road accidents: avoid drunk driving, rest if tired, and wear a seat belt or helmet. Roads are busy and unsafe around celebrations.

9. CPR: how to save a life with your hands

Hands-only CPR for an adult: 6 steps

1. Check safety. Make sure the area is safe for you and the person.
2. Check response. Tap their shoulders and shout “Are you OK?”. If they do not respond and are not breathing, or only gasping, treat it as cardiac arrest.
3. Call for help. Call 112 or 108 yourself, or point at a specific person and tell them to call and to bring an AED if there is one nearby. Put the phone on speaker.
4. Position your hands. Place the heel of one hand on the centre of the chest (lower half of the breastbone), the other hand on top, fingers interlocked. Arms straight, shoulders above your hands.
5. Push hard and fast. Press down at least 5 cm (about 2 inches), no more than about 6 cm, at 100 to 120 times a minute. Let the chest rise fully after each push. Keep interruptions as short as possible. Tip: songs with a beat of about 100 to 120 beats a minute help you keep the rhythm.
6. Do not stop. Continue until the person starts to breathe normally, trained help arrives and takes over, or an AED tells you what to do. Swap with another person every 2 minutes if you can, to stay effective.

Using an AED (defibrillator)

• Switch on the AED and follow the voice prompts. Attach the pads to the bare, dry chest as shown in the picture on the pads.
• Do not touch the person while it analyses and delivers a shock. Resume CPR straight after.
• AEDs are safe for anyone to use. Many malls, offices, airports and apartment complexes have one.

Common questions about CPR

• Will I hurt the person? Ribs may break, which is common and acceptable. Not doing CPR is far worse.
• Is there legal risk? Good Samaritan protections apply in India for people who help in an emergency.
• Should I give mouth-to-mouth? If you are not trained, skip it. Hands-only CPR is recommended for untrained bystanders.

Learn CPR: Health1 conducts BLS / CPR workshops for the public. Next workshop: Sunday, 1 November 2026, 10 to 11 am (general Diwali awareness and BLS session). Register on 079 6999 6999.

10. Sleep, stress and family: the overlooked part

• Sleep 7 to 8 hours. Late nights, heavy meals and noise affect blood pressure, blood sugar and mood.
• Manage stress. Festival cooking, guests, expenses and family expectations are tiring. Share the work, plan ahead, take breaks and say no when needed.
• Look after older family members: make sure they have their medicines, a quiet space, meals on time and someone to check on them.
• Mental health: the festival can be a lonely and sad time for some. Check in on people who are alone, grieving or unwell. If someone is in distress, talk to them, listen and encourage them to see a professional.
• Pets: loud noise and smoke frighten animals. Keep them indoors in a quiet, secure room and never give them sweets, chocolate or cracker-scraps.

11. Holiday travel checklist

A. Home safety before you leave

• ☐ Switch off the main gas regulator / cylinder knob and the stove
• ☐ Switch off the geyser, iron, water pump, and unplug non-essential appliances
• ☐ Make sure no diya, candle or incense is burning
• ☐ Turn off the main water valve; check taps
• ☐ Empty the fridge of perishables; take out the garbage
• ☐ Lock all doors, windows and the balcony door; use extra locks
• ☐ Keep cash, gold and important documents in a locker or safe place
• ☐ Leave a spare key and your contact with a trusted neighbour or relative
• ☐ Inform the society security / watchman. Stop deliveries (milk, newspaper, courier)
• ☐ Keep a light or timer light on; consider a CCTV or smart camera
• ☐ Do not post live travel updates on social media; post after you return
• ☐ Arrange for plants and pets to be cared for

B. Health and medicines

• ☐ Medicines for the whole trip plus 3 to 5 extra days; keep them in your hand luggage in original strips
• ☐ A copy of prescriptions and a short medical summary (conditions, allergies, medicines, blood group). Use generic names
• ☐ Insulin with a cool bag, glucometer, strips, glucose sweets (diabetes)
• ☐ BP monitor / BP medicines; inhalers / spacer; CPAP; other devices; spare batteries
• ☐ Recent reports for people with heart, kidney, liver or other chronic conditions (ECG, creatinine, discharge summaries)
• ☐ Basic first-aid kit: bandages, antiseptic, gauze, tape, tweezers, thermometer, scissors, burn gel or cling film, gloves
• ☐ Medicines for fever/pain (paracetamol), cold/allergy, motion sickness, acidity, diarrhoea; ORS sachets; sunscreen; insect repellent
• ☐ Hand sanitiser, masks (N95 if visiting polluted cities), and wipes
• ☐ Vaccines up to date (ask about typhoid, hepatitis A, tetanus, flu, and anything required by the destination)
• ☐ Check for mosquito-borne illness (dengue, malaria) risk at the destination, use repellent and nets
• ☐ Drink safe water; avoid ice and raw salads from unknown sources
• ☐ Consult your doctor before travelling if you are pregnant, unwell, post-surgery, or have a heart or lung condition. Do not travel by air within the period your doctor advises after surgery or a heart event

C. Documents, money and insurance

• ☐ ID proofs (Aadhaar, passport / visa for international travel), tickets, hotel bookings
• ☐ Health insurance card and policy number, the insurer’s cashless helpline, and your travel insurance if any
• ☐ Emergency contacts list (family, doctor, neighbour), saved offline and written on paper
• ☐ Cash, cards, and a backup payment method
• ☐ Vehicle documents, servicing, tyres, fuel, spare tyre for a road trip
• ☐ Phone chargers, power bank, offline maps; share your live location with a family member
• ☐ Name, address and phone number of the nearest good hospital at your destination

D. Road, water and adventure safety

• Drive safely: start well rested, take a break every 2 hours, share the driving, wear seat belts, use child seats, and never drink and drive.
• Water safety: swim only in marked safe areas, supervise children at all times, and use life jackets.
• Heat, altitude and cold: stay hydrated, build up gradually at altitude, and carry suitable clothing.
• Food: eat freshly cooked hot food, avoid unwashed fruit and uncertain street food.
• Hotel safety: note the fire exits and keep valuables in the safe.

E. If someone falls ill while travelling

• Call 112 / 108 (works across India).
• Go to the nearest hospital with an emergency department; carry the medical summary and insurance card.
• Call the insurer’s cashless helpline for pre-authorisation. In an emergency, treatment should not be delayed for paperwork.
• For a consultation after you return, Health1 patients can call 079 6999 6999.

12. Frequently asked questions

See also CGHS, ECHS and RGHS treatment and insurance companies and TPAs accepted at Health1.