New York City to Recognise Diwali as a Public School Holiday

 Diwali will now join the list of public school holidays in New York City. The bill to make Diwali a public school holiday was passed by the New York state legislature earlier this month and is awaiting the signature of Governor Kathy Hochul, a Democrat. Mayor Eric Adams, who pledged to make Diwali a school holiday in his mayoral campaign, expects Hochul to sign the bill.

The push for the official recognition of Diwali came on the back of the growing South Asian community. According to the 2021 American Community Survey, the population of New York City categorised as Asian Indian has more than doubled from 94,000 in 1990 to about 213,000. The festival of Diwali celebrates victory of light over darkness and is celebrated by Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, and some Buddhists around October-November, depending on the lunar calendar.

This year, it will be celebrated on a Sunday, November 12. Assembly woman Jenifer Rajkumar, who is the key force behind the bill, said that after a fight for two decades, she was finally able to dedicate this victory to the country, community, and New York. Senator Joe Addabbo echoed the sentiment, saying, “Proud and thankful to have had my Senate bill for Diwali to be a NYC school holiday pass unanimously with bipartisan support.” In addition to Rosh Hashana and Lunar New Year, Diwali will now be another day off for students. Mayor Adams said, "This is a city that's continuously changing, continuously welcoming communities from all over the world.” He also added that the school calendar must reflect the new reality on the ground.