Diwali to be a holiday in New York City public schools from 2023

Diwali will be a holiday for the New York City public school starting next year in 2023, Mayor Eric Adams announced on Thursday.

Adams, joined by New York Assembly Member Jenifer Rajkumar, who had introduced the legislation to recognize Diwali and New York City Schools Chancellor David Banks, CNN reported.

Legislators swapped out Anniversary Day, better known to old-timers as “Brooklyn-Queens Day,” which is celebrated on the first Thursday in June, for Diwali in the public school calendar. Anniversary Day has reportedly been on the books since 1829, with schools observing the holiday since the mid-1900s, New York Post reported.

Addressing a press conference, 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.” She called Anniversary Day “an obscure and antiquated day,” as compared to Diwali, which is celebrated by a “growing number of New Yorkers,” reported CNN.

“People have said that there’s simply not enough room in the New York City school calendar to have a Diwali school holiday,” the assembly woman said. “Well, my legislation makes the room.”

Rajkumar further added that the new school schedule will still have 180 days, as is required by the state’s education laws. During the conference, Adams called the decision a “long overdue” acknowledgment of Hindu, Sikh, Jain and Buddhist communities, according to CNN.

“We are going to encourage children to learn about what is Diwali,” Adams 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,” he added. “When we take this period to acknowledge Diwali, we’re acknowledging the light that is within us, the light that clearly can push away darkness,” the mayor said.