Diwali, or Deepavali, is widely known as the “Festival of Lights.” It is considered one of the largest and most important holidays in India. The event is celebrated by millions of Hindus, Jains, Sikhs, and Buddhists worldwide.
Even though Hindus are considered a minority religion in the United States, they are included in the top five most popular religions in the entire country. Close to two million Hindus living in the nation observe this festival each year.
So why isn’t Diwali recognized as a federal holiday across America? Or even in New York, where about 3% of the population is Hindu?
To start, let’s discuss what Diwali really is:
In India, depending on the geographical location, the reason Diwali is celebrated is varied. In northern India, the story of King Rama’s return to Ayodhya after defeating the demon, Ravana, is celebrated. This event is popularly known as the Ramayana. In southern India, it is celebrated as the day Lord Krishna defeated the demon, Narakasura. Even in western India, people mark this as the day that Lord Vishnu sent the demon king, Bali, to the nether world.
The main theme here is clear: Diwali is the celebration of good over evil, hope over despair, knowledge over ignorance, and light over darkness. For some, this day marks the beginning of a new year, marking good fortune and success for the family.
This year, Diwali will be observed on Oct. 24, 2022.
Numerous private colleges and universities nationwide have decided to observe the holiday as an attempt to grow the inclusivity of South Asian and Indo-Caribbean students on campus.
For years, there has been backlash from different communities across the country, all of whom have attempted to get the holiday federally recognized. The United Federation of Teachers (UFT) has pushed to make Diwali a holiday for all New York City students in the public school system.
But there is definitely some hope… maybe. We don’t really know yet.
Mayor-elect Eric Adams has vowed to “sign [Diwali] into a holiday” after taking office on Jan. 1, 2022. In addition, Rep. Carolyn Maloney (Manhattan/Brooklyn/Queens) unveiled a new bill in US Congress to make Diwali a federal holiday. The Deepavali Day Act was introduced to the House of Representatives on Wednesday, Nov. 3, 2021.
At this year’s annual Diwali motorcade and cultural show in Queens, countless people started chanting “make Diwali a holiday” during Mayor Adams’ speech. The crowd was given a mere thumbs up in response to the potential of the holiday being recognized in New York City.
With more knowledge being shared about this topic, there is a chance we can expect Diwali to become an official federal holiday just in time for next year’s observance on Nov. 12, 2023.
*Update: As of Thursday, Oct. 20, 2022, Mayor Adams has announced that Diwali will be a New York City public holiday starting in 2023.*
Assemblywoman Jenifer Rajkumar noted, “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.” Education officials agreed to remove Anniversary Day to make room for Diwali while still meeting the 180-school-day requirement.
Now the question that remains is will Diwali become a federal holiday in the near future?