Diwali To Be Observed As Public Holiday In New York

While Diwali is a festival that is not just celebrated in India but also worldwide, New York City has gone a notch higher to make the day even more exciting for its residents. 

According to the latest news, the mayor of New York Eric Adams announced that the festival of Diwali will now be observed as a public holiday in schools across New York in the United States.

Diwali Public Holiday In New York

The decision was taken in a recent legislation enactment, and Mayor Eric Adams took to Twitter to make the announcement himself. Adams in his tweet said that this is an important decision and that he appreciates the state assembly and senate for passing the bill.

This year Diwali is going to be celebrated on November 12 and the official holiday on Diwali in New York will be observed from the year 2024. Diwali's holiday in public schools will substitute for 'Brooklyn Queens Day's holiday in New York. Although the decision is still to be signed and notarized by Governor Kathy Hochul, Adams is optimistic that the governor will sign the bill.

Mayor also mentioned that this could happen because of Jennifer Rajkumar, who is the first indo-american assembly member and he was happy to be a support to her. Jennifer Rajkumar herself talked about the decision in a recent tweet stating how all the South Asian communities have been waiting for this verdict for more than twenty years.

She added that all the Indian, Nepali, Bangladeshi, Buddhists, and other Asians residing in New York are seen as this decision is for them.

She tweeted "Diwali, at last, will be a holiday in our great city. So today we say to over 6,00,000 Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, and Jain Americans across New York City, we see you. Today, we say to families from India, Guyana, Trinidad, Nepal, and Bangladesh, we recognise you.”

Last year, the  Indian-American Vice President of the United States Kamala Harris hosted a Diwali party in her house with important dignitaries and notable Indians residing in America. Harris said that Diwali signifies the duality we have in life in terms of light and darkness. She said Diwali surpasses culture and communities and is about the age-old tradition.

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