New York City Officially Declares Diwali a Public School Holiday

Diwali is officially a New York City public school holiday, Mayor Eric Adams announced Monday.

Adams was joined at the announcement at City Hall by Assemblymember Jenifer Rajkumar, the first Hindu American and first South Asian American woman elected to state office.

"Today we say to over 600,000 Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, and Jain Americans, we see you," Rajkumar said. "Today we say to families from India, Guyana, Trinidad, Nepal, and Bangladesh, we recognize you."

The announcement comes after state lawmakers approved a bill, first introduced in 2021 and reintroduced in 2022. Supporters have been attempting to get the date on the public school calendar for decades.

The move is contingent on Gov. Kathy Hochul signing the legislation, although the mayor said he was "confident" that she would.

While Hochul is still reviewing the bill, she has supported other efforts to recognize Diwali.

Diwali is a pan-religious holiday celebrating the symbolic victory of light over darkness and knowledge over ignorance, fostering unity and togetherness.

It is India's biggest and most important holiday of the year.

In 2023, Diwali will be celebrated on Sunday, November 12, so it will be a day off school for the first time in 2024. The Department of Education said there will be four new days off during 2023-24 school calendar including April 1, the day after Easter, April 29 and 30, the two days of Passover, and June 17 for Eid.

Diwali was celebrated at Times Square with pomp and splendor. The Diwali at Times Square, sponsored by Gopi Dairy and presented by KIA, is set to make its return on October 28, 2023. This annual Diwali festival in Times Square has been a cherished tradition since 2013, consistently uniting the diverse and vibrant elements of Indian culture in the heart of New York City, Times Square.

In the upcoming edition, Diwali at Times Square will celebrate the rich tapestry of India and America's diversity with a wide array of performances that represent various communities. These performances will encompass South Asian, Indo-Caribbean, Dominican Folk Dance, and Afro-Latino groups. This showcase serves as a testament to the cultural mosaic that defines New York City.

Diwali at Times Square will also commemorate the NYC Diwali School Holiday, with the participation of New York City schoolchildren preparing for a special dance performance in Times Square on October 28. This achievement is attributed to the dedicated efforts of NYC Mayor Eric Adams and Indian-origin State Assemblywoman Jenifer Rajkumar. Neeta Bhasin, the founder of Diwali at Times Square, places a strong emphasis on the significance of imparting cultural and traditional knowledge to children from a young age. She is of the view that the annual Diwali festival in Times Square plays a crucial role in connecting children with rich cultural heritage and traditions, thereby contributing to the promotion of peace and harmony in the world.

Title Sponsor of Diwali at Times Square, the CEO of Gopi Dairy, Rostom Baghdassarian, said, “Gopi Dairy is proud to sponsor 'Gopi Dairy Diwali at Times Square 2023', a festival rooted in peace, new beginnings, and the human values of gratitude and humility. At Gopi, we're honoured to have been part of your daily lives for over a decade, delivering pure dairy products from our family to yours. This is a historic moment for us all to celebrate the universal festival of light and joy!”