New York City Mayor Eric Adams is moving ahead with plans to make Diwali an official school holiday, reports the Gothamist.
Officials from the mayor’s office say the legislature is expected to make the plan official as soon as the 2023 school year.
“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,” state assemblywoman Jenifer Rajkumar is quoted by CNN as saying.
Adams called the decision “long overdue.”
“We are going to encourage children to learn about what is Diwali,” he said. “We’re going to have them start talking about what it is to celebrate the Festival of Lights, and how do you turn a light on within yourself.”
According to NPR, Diwali is celebrated by 1 billion people around the world. It is a major celebration in India and is marked by Hindus around the world. Buddhists, Sikhs and Jains have also adopted their own version of the holiday. The Festival of Lights celebrates light over dark and good over evil and begins this year on October 24.
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