New York State Governor Hochul signs legislation making Diwali a holiday in NYC public schools
Says, ‘New York is rich in different religions and cultures, and we’re taking an important step to recognise and celebrate this diversity in the school calendar’
New York State Governor Hochul signs legislation making Diwali a holiday in NYC public schools
New York: In a historic move, New York State Governor Kathy Hochul signed legislation making Diwali a school holiday for New York City public schools.
“New York City is rich in different religions and cultures, and we’re taking an important step to recognise and celebrate this diversity in the school calendar,” Hochul said on Tuesday.
The legislation requires that all public schools in New York City be closed on the “15th day of the eighth month of the Indian calendar in each year, which is known as Diwali,” a press release issued by Hochul’s office said.
Hochul said that the legislation to designate Diwali as a New York City school holiday is “an opportunity for our children to learn about and celebrate traditions from across the world.”
Hochul signed the legislation during a special reception at the Hindu Temple Society of North America in Flushing here to commemorate Diwali.
In a post on X, Hochul said that she believes a celebration of light should not be commemorated in the dark.
“That’s why tonight, we took action to bring people together. As we gathered to celebrate Diwali, I was proud to sign historic legislation making Diwali a New York City public school holiday!”
According to the New York City Department of Education, there were 1,047,895 students in the NYC school system, the largest school district in the United States, in 2022-23.
Of those students, 16.5 per cent were Asians. There are 1,867 schools within the Department of Education as of Fall 2022, including 275 charter schools.
The press release said that the legislation amends the education law to declare Diwali a holiday for New York City public schools.
“Many people of the Hindu, Sikh, Jain, and Buddhist faiths in New York City and throughout the state observe the festival of Diwali and more than 1 billion people around the world celebrate this holiday,” the release added.
New York State Assemblywoman Jenifer Rajkumar, who is the first Indian-American and first Hindu elected to New York State Office and led efforts to make Diwali a school holiday in New York City, said generations of New Yorkers to come will now observe Diwali, the Festival of Lights.
“By signing my bill, we say to over 600,000 Hindu, Sikh, Jain, and Buddhist New Yorkers, ‘We see you, we recognise you, and Diwali is an American holiday'”, Rajkumar said.
Similar stories
Comments are closed.