Festival photo frames from your own photo

A forwarded festival greeting is forgotten in a second. A greeting made from your own family's photo is opened, zoomed and answered. It takes about three minutes with the frame maker, and this page covers the frames, the photo to choose and the words to add for each festival.

Take the photo before the festival begins

The mistake most families make is waiting for the evening. By then the light is poor, the children are tired and someone has already left. Take the family photo in daylight, in festival clothes, near a door or window. Stand close together and take five shots. One of them will have every eye open.

Diwali

The Diwali frame starts with "Happy Diwali". Good photos: the family at the doorway with the rangoli in front, a child holding a lit diya with both hands, or the house lit at dusk. Photos of lamps look best taken at dusk rather than in full darkness, when the sky still has some colour.

Words: "Happy Diwali from the Sharma family", "शुभ दीपावली", "ਦੀਵਾਲੀ ਦੀਆਂ ਵਧਾਈਆਂ".

Holi

The Holi colours frame suits a photo full of faces and colour. Take it in the first half hour, when the colours are fresh and faces can still be recognised. Keep the phone in a clear plastic pouch and wipe the lens before each shot.

Words: "Happy Holi", "होली है!", or the year and the place.

Eid

The Eid frame starts with "Eid Mubarak". A family photo in new clothes after the morning prayer, or the children with their Eidi, makes a warm greeting. Words: "Eid Mubarak from our home to yours", "عید مبارک".

Christmas

The Christmas frame works with a photo beside the tree, the crib or the star at the door. Words: "Merry Christmas", with the family name and the year.

Independence Day and Republic Day

The Tricolour frame starts with "Happy Independence Day". Change the words for Republic Day. School photos from the flag hoisting, in uniform, are the natural choice. The round tricolour ring makes a profile picture for the day.

Festivals without their own frame

For Raksha Bandhan, Lohri, Baisakhi, Onam, Pongal, Navratri, Durga Puja, Gurpurab, Karwa Chauth and others, use a simple frame and let the words name the day:

Classic gold for Gurpurab, Karwa Chauth, Dussehra and Navratri.
Flowers for Onam, Baisakhi and Raksha Bandhan.
White border with a bright photo for Lohri and Pongal.

A festival collage is another option: the rangoli, the puja, the food and the family in four boxes.

When to send it

Status: early on the festival morning, in Story size.
Family and friends groups: one picture, once. If six cousins each send the same greeting, agree that one person posts.
Personal messages: to elders and to people you have not spoken to in a year. A photo greeting is a good reason to write.

Keep it respectful

Use your own photos. Do not place a face over a picture of a deity or a religious symbol, and when you greet friends for a festival that is not your own, a simple frame and a plain, warm line is always right.

Questions people ask

How do I make a Diwali greeting with my photo?

Open the frame maker, choose your family photo, tap the Diwali frame, change the words if you like and tap Download or Share.

Is there a frame for Raksha Bandhan or Onam?

Not a special one. Use Flowers, Classic gold or White border and write the name of the festival in the words box.

Which size is right for a festival status?

Story, 1080 × 1920. Keep faces and words in the middle so that the top and bottom of the screen do not cover them.

Frame a photo Make a collage