Onam 2027 in Canada: Thiruvonam date, traditions and Kerala gold

When is Onam 2027?

Onam is celebrated in the Malayalam month of Chingam. The main day, Thiruvonam, is the day when the Thiruvonam nakshatra (star) is present at midday. For 2027, Drik Panchang gives Sunday, September 12 for Toronto, Vancouver and Kochi.

The season begins ten days earlier with Atham. Drik Panchang's Onam calendar for Toronto puts Atham (Atthachamayam and the first Athapoo pookalam) on Thursday, September 2, 2027. Each day after that has its own star: Chithira (Sept 3), Chothi (Sept 4), Vishakham (Sept 5), Anizham (Sept 6), and so on to Uthradam, the first Onam (Sept 11), and Thiruvonam. In 2027 the Toronto calendar repeats the Moolam star over two days, so the season runs 11 days.

What is Onam and why is it celebrated?

Onam is Kerala's biggest festival. Kerala Tourism describes it as celebrating the legend of King Mahabali, a generous ruler who is believed to visit his people once a year. It is also a harvest festival, a time of joy and plenty.

The main traditions include:

• Pookalam: a floral design laid at home, starting with the Athapoo pookalam on Atham.
• Onasadya: the Onam feast, served on a banana leaf, with many dishes. Many Malayalis consider it the heart of Onam.
• Vallam Kali: snake boat races on Kerala's rivers and backwaters.
• Local games played during the festival.

How is Onam celebrated in Canada?

Malayali associations across Canada hold Onam celebrations, usually on the weekends in late August and September, sometimes after the actual date. In 2027 Thiruvonam is on a Sunday, which makes it easier to celebrate at home on the day. Events often centre on a group Onasadya and cultural programs.

Onasadya is often catered, and tickets sell out in larger cities. Indian grocery stores stock banana leaves and Kerala ingredients in the weeks before. Check your local Malayali or Kerala association's page for 2027 dates; they usually post them in summer.

Why do Malayali families buy gold for Onam?

Kerala Tourism calls Onam the biggest shopping season in Kerala, and gold is a big part of it. Families often buy new jewellery for the festival, or for weddings held around it.

In Kerala, jewellers quote gold per gram and per sovereign (also called pavan), which is 8 grams. If family in Kerala tells you a price per sovereign, divide by 8 to get the price per gram. Kerala jewellery is usually 22K (91.6% gold). Compare with the gold rate in Kerala before you send money or buy.

If you are in Canada and buying for family in Kerala, compare three things: the Kerala price per gram, the Canadian price per gram (see gold price per gram), and the cost of carrying gold or sending money. Our guide is gold cheaper in Dubai, India or Canada? walks through it.

What are good Onam gift ideas?

New clothes for the family are a traditional Onam gift. Other ideas:

• A small gold coin or light 22K jewellery for a child or a newly married couple
• Gold earrings or a chain for a mother or grandmother
• Money sent home for the family's Onasadya and new clothes (see sending money to India)

How do you buy gold smart for Onam?

22K or 24K?

24K gold is 99.9% pure. It is soft, so it is used mostly for coins and bars. 22K gold is 91.6% pure (often stamped 916). It is a little harder, so most South Asian jewellery is 22K. 18K is 75% gold and 14K is 58.5%. For the same weight, a higher karat has more gold in it, so it costs more. Use our gold price by karat page to compare.

Making charges

Jewellery costs more than the gold inside it. Stores add a making charge (also called a labour or design charge). Some charge a percentage of the gold value. Others charge a set amount per gram. Ask for the gold weight, the karat and the making charge as separate lines on the bill. Then you can compare stores. Our jewellery markup calculator shows how much you pay above the gold value.

Buy-back and exchange

Ask the store, before you pay, what it pays if you sell or exchange the piece later. Many stores deduct the making charge, and some deduct more. Get the policy in writing on the receipt. Coins and bars usually lose less on resale than detailed jewellery.

Check the stamp

In Canada, a quality mark (like 22K or 916) is not required. But if a store puts one on, it must be truthful and come with a Canadian trademark, under the Precious Metals Marking Act (as of October 2026). Keep your receipt with the karat, weight and store name.

Use our gold value calculator to check a piece's value by weight and karat, and compare with the Kerala gold rate. Gold prices can go down as well as up. Past prices don't predict future prices.

Common questions

Sources

• Drik Panchang: Onam (Thiruvonam) 2027, Toronto
• Drik Panchang: Onam (Thiruvonam) 2027, Vancouver
• Drik Panchang: Onam (Thiruvonam) 2027, Kochi
• Drik Panchang: Onam calendar 2027, Toronto
• Kerala Tourism: Onam
• Kerala Kaumudi: Gold prices in Kerala, Onam season (August 20, 2026; sovereign = 8 g)
• Competition Bureau Canada: Precious metals marking

Checked against these sources on October 24, 2026. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.