Diwali, a NYC School Holiday from 2023

Oct 22, 2022 Letters

Dear Editor,

Diwali, the Hindu celebration known as the “Festival of Lights,” a public holiday in Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, and Suriname, will be a public school holiday in New York City starting next year, 2023.

Diwali Day has been an excused school day for the last dozen years for students and staff who celebrated the festival. Parking rules were also suspended during that period. From next year, Diwali Day will be an official school holiday.

NYC Mayor, Eric Adams made the announcement on Thursday morning at a Press Conference to include the holiday in the public school schedule. The Mayor was joined by Democratic State Assembly Woman, Jenifer Rajkumar, and Department of Education Schools Chancellor, Dr. David Banks. Politicians from both sides of the political divide, welcome the policy. Democratic and Republican Legislators have been celebrating Diwali at their offices and at the Legislature over the last decade.

Diwali is a major Hindu festival but is also celebrated by Indian Buddhists, Sikhs and Jains. The date of Diwali fluctuates depending on the lunar calendar. It falls in the darkest night in the Fall. This year, the holiday is on October 24.

State Assembly Woman Rajkumar said, “The time has come to recognize over 200,000 New Yorkers of the Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh and Jain faiths who celebrate Diwali, the Festival of Lights”. Rajkumar, who introduced legislation to recognize Diwali, said at the Press Conference, “Anniversary Day is an obscure and antiquated day as compared to Diwali, which is celebrated by a growing number of New Yorkers.” She commented that people have said that “there’s simply not enough room in the New York City school calendar to have a Diwali school holiday. Well, my legislation makes the room.”

State law requires 180 school days. The calendar is tight with five Jewish days, 2 Muslim Days, one Chinese Lunar Day, several Christian days, an Italian day, Black American Emancipation Days, holidays for Lincoln and Washington, among others.

Yours truly,

Vishnu Bisram