Diwali’s ‘festival of lights’ is official NYC school holiday for 2023

[Kamaji]

Diwali’s ‘festival of lights’ is official NYC school holiday for 2023

By Bernadette Hogan and Jesse O’Neill
June 26, 2023

New York City public school students will now get the day off to celebrate Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights.

Diwali is celebrated by some 600,000 New Yorkers every autumn. The five day festival — observed by Hindus, Jains, Sikhs and some Buddhists — occurs on a different date every year and symbolizes the spiritual triumph of good over evil.

Mayor Adams celebrated the news with a boisterous City Hall news conference, punctuated by live percussionists, flowery rhetoric and plenty of backslapping.

“This victory will allow those who did not feel seen, and did not feel heard, we are saying ‘we see you, we hear you, we respect you — and your culture is part of the New York experience, Hizzoner told the cheering crowd.

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Source:  https://nypost.com/2023/06/26/diwalis-festival-of-lights-new-nyc-school-holiday-for-2023/

[mountaineer]

“This victory will allow those who did not feel seen, and did not feel heard, we are saying ‘we see you, we hear you, we respect you — and your culture is part of the New York experience, Hizzoner told the cheering crowd.

This kids can barely read or write, but it's great to see how concerned the schools are about their feeeeeelings.

[PeteS in CA]

Will NYC schools celebrate "Christmas" and "Easter"? Or "Winter" and "Spring" holidays? I don't have a problem with Diwali being a holiday, but if the name is used, then use the names "Christmas", "Easter" and "Chanukah", straight-up, no weaselry, no double-standard. Most (all or almost all?) states legally mandate a certain number of in-school days (IIRC, 180 days is typical), so an extra holiday should not decrease the number of in-school days.

[Kamaji]

Will NYC schools celebrate "Christmas" and "Easter"? Or "Winter" and "Spring" holidays? I don't have a problem with Diwali being a holiday, but if the name is used, then use the names "Christmas", "Easter" and "Chanukah", straight-up, no weaselry, no double-standard. Most (all or almost all?) states legally mandate a certain number of in-school days (IIRC, 180 days is typical), so an extra holiday should not decrease the number of in-school days.

Agreed.

[Fishrrman]

"Will NYC schools celebrate "Christmas" and "Easter"? Or "Winter" and "Spring" holidays?"

Forget it, Pete...
It's New York City.