Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi, Oct 21: Mayor Eric Adams stated on Thursday that the public schools in New York City will observe Diwali beginning the next year, in 2023. Chancellor of the New York City Schools David Banks and New York Assembly Member Jenifer Rajkumar, who had filed the legislation to honour Diwali, were present with Adams, according to CNN.
In the public school calendar, lawmakers substituted Diwali for Anniversary Day, which is observed on the first Thursday in June and is better known to old-timers as “Brooklyn-Queens Day.” According to the New York Post, the legal definition of Anniversary Day dates back to 1829, and schools have celebrated the day off since the mid-1900s.
“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,” addressing a press conference, Rajkumar said.
Rajkumar noted that the 180 days specified by the state’s education rules would still be included in the new school year. Adams referred to the choice as a “far overdue” acknowledgement of the Hindu, Sikh, Jain, and Buddhist groups during the conference, according to CNN.
“We are going to encourage children to learn about what is Diwali. 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,” Adams said.
“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.
