New York to observe Diwali as school holiday starting this year

[Hitman]

New York City will add Diwali to its list of public school holidays in recognition of the growth of the city’s South Asian and Indo-Caribbean communities, city mayor Eric Adams said on Monday.

Diwali, also known as the festival of lights, is celebrated in October or November, depending on the lunar calendar.

This year, the festival is expected to be observed on November 12 (Sunday), meaning the 2023-2024 school calendar will not be affected by the change, reported AP.

“This is a city that’s continuously changing, continuously welcoming communities from all over the world,” Adams said in announcing that Diwali will join celebrations including Rosh Hashana and Lunar New Year as a day off for students. “Our school calendar must reflect the new reality on the ground.”

According to city officials, more than 2 lakh New York residents celebrate Diwali which is observed by Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, and some Buddhists.

The new holiday will become official if governor Kathy Hochul, also a Democrat, signs a bill passed by the New York state legislature earlier this month making Diwali a public school holiday in New York City.

Adams, who pledged to make Diwali a school holiday when he ran for mayor in 2021, said he expects Hochul to sign the bill.

The population of Asian Indians in the New York City has more than doubled in the last three decades, from 94,000 in 1990 to about 213,000 in the 2021 American Community Survey.

Representative Grace Meng, a Democrat who represents parts of the New York City borough of Queens, introduced legislation last month to make Diwali a federal holiday.

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Link: https://www.hindustantimes.com/worl...-york-starting-this-year-101687834255083.html

 

[Champ_Pal]

Pathetic. Religious holidays must be banned. Anyone who wants to stay at home and celebrate can do it by informing school of their absence.

 

[Ahmad-GERMANFC]

Eid is already a holiday there. Not sure about Jewish holidays but maybe one of
Those too. Christian holidays are already holidays obv.

 

[Major]

Pathetic. Religious holidays must be banned. Anyone who wants to stay at home and celebrate can do it by informing school of their absence.

dumbest thing i have ever read.

 

[Champ_Pal]

dumbest thing i have ever read.

The whole calendar will be holidays if every religion is granted a holiday. Dem cities and states are like this.

 

[Kroll]

Which company is adopting 4 day a week? None that actually matters.

True, if I'm not getting a 4 day work week, then it doesn't matter.

 

[DeadlyVenom]

thats very kind of them

 

[prakash]

Eid is already a holiday there. Not sure about Jewish holidays but maybe one of
Those too. Christian holidays are already holidays obv.

There are no Christian holidays in NYC schools. Christmas is during winter recess. There are only five religious holidays.

Islam (1) - Eid
Jewish (4) - Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Passover (2 days)

 

[Ahmad-GERMANFC]

There are no Christian holidays in NYC schools. Christmas is during winter recess. There are only five religious holidays.

Islam (1) - Eid
Jewish (4) - Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Passover (2 days)

Well winter recess and spring break are intentionally overlapping with Christmas and Easter. Or did you think it’s a coincidence?

 

[Major]

There are no Christian holidays in NYC schools. Christmas is during winter recess. There are only five religious holidays.

Islam (1) - Eid
Jewish (4) - Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Passover (2 days)

Dont think there is any such thing as winter recess. Basically schools give off due to christmas eve, christmas and than new year. So they can call it winter recess but those are holidays for Christmas. Its an offical holiday

 

[offstump]

Dont think there is any such thing as winter recess. Basically schools give off due to christmas eve, christmas and than new year. So they can call it winter recess but those are holidays for Christmas. Its an offical holiday

There is most definitely winter break which can range from 1-2 weeks including Christmas and New Years.

 

[daytrader]

Great! more time off. Wish my city adapts this

 

[James]

Good stuff.

 

[Hitman]

As a kid, I used to rejoice every single holiday we had. Going to school was so, so, so boring and frustrating.

 

[Major]

There is most definitely winter break which can range from 1-2 weeks including Christmas and New Years.

bro, im not denying there is winter break, but is given so that Christmas and New years ever can be off

Here are NYC list of holidays
https://www.nyc.gov/site/opa/my-pay/list-of-holidays.page

Its quite stupid for people to claim that the NYC govt doesnt give religious holidays for christians when it quite clearly says on their govt website that they do

 

[Major]

As a kid, I used to rejoice every single holiday we had. Going to school was so, so, so boring and frustrating.

School i loved and enjoy. During work life i enjoy every holiday that comes

 

[MenInG]

UAE has 5 days off for Eid!

 

[Cpt. Rishwat]

The whole calendar will be holidays if every religion is granted a holiday. Dem cities and states are like this.

USA is a country made up of nationalities from all around the world, of course they would want to celebrate their origin countries holidays. As long as they wish to do so, it will happen. It's not like America actually has it's own indigenous culture, unless we are talking about the natives who were mostly wiped out or marginalised.

 

[Bhaijaan]

Diwali is by far the biggest hindu festival. Makes total sense to grant a leave if the country has a sizeable Hindu population. A great step towards inclusivity.

State shouldn’t come in the way of someone practising their religion in a peaceful manner.

 

[offstump]

bro, im not denying there is winter break, but is given so that Christmas and New years ever can be off

Here are NYC list of holidays
https://www.nyc.gov/site/opa/my-pay/list-of-holidays.page

Its quite stupid for people to claim that the NYC govt doesnt give religious holidays for christians when it quite clearly says on their govt website that they do

Gotcha, although winter break including Christmas is just a big celebration for everyone and hardly considered a religious holiday m.

 

[Gharib Aadmi]

The whole calendar will be holidays if every religion is granted a holiday. Dem cities and states are like this.

It should depend on the population %, and I believe NYC is the only Dem city that gives non Christian/Jewish holidays.

And as NYC are already giving the Jewish and Muslim ones, so it makes sense to give Diwali to. Actually should have been done years ago when they made Eid a holiday.