New York City will add the festival of Diwali to the list of public school holidays in recognition of the growth of the city’s South Asian and Indo-Caribbean communities, Mayor Eric Adams announced on Monday.
Thousands of New Yorkers celebrate Diwali each year to commemorate the victory of light over darkness, and the announcement came after state lawmakers recently enacted legislation designating it as a holiday in the biggest school system in the US.
Also Read: Big takeaways from PM Modi’s State visit to the US
New York Assembly member Jenifer Rajkumar, who led the initiative to make the Indian festival of Diwali a holiday in the city, said that after a fight over two decades by the South Asian community, she was proud to deliver this win for the community, for New York, and for America.
Mayor Eric Adams called the moment a significant win for the local families. “I know it’s a little early, but Shubh Diwali,” Adams wrote on Twitter.
City officials say more that 2,00,000 New York City residents celebrate Diwali, which is observed by Hindus, Sikhs, Jains and some Buddhists.
Also Read: Modi’s second address to the US Congress: Strengthening partnerships and shaping global dynamics
However, this year, students would not get a holiday on Diwali as the school calendar for 2023-2024 had already been decided beforehand, according to a report by the Associated Press.
Furthermore, the measure still has to be inked into law by Governor Kathy Hochul. The new holiday will replace “Brooklyn-Queens Day” on the school holiday calendar.
According to the New York Times, in 2015, the city announced it would close schools in honour of two major Muslim holidays, Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha.