Diwali will be a school holiday across New York City public schools in 2023.
Mayor Eric Adams, Schools Chancellor David Banks, and State Assemblywoman Jenifer Rajkumar held a press conference Thursday to announce the new school holiday, recognized by Buddhists, Hindus, Sikhs, and Jains. There are over 200,000 New Yorkers of these faiths according to Rajkumar.
The holiday falls on the 15th day of the month of Kartika in the Hindu calendar, which makes Diwali fall on Sunday, Nov. 12 in 2023. As the"Festival of Lights," the holiday commemorates the return of Lord Rama after he defeated the demon king Ravana. It will replace Anniversary Day, otherwise known as Brooklyn-Queens day, which fell on June 1, in order to ensure schools still have 180 days of classes as mandated by the state.
"This is an educational moment because when we acknowledge Diwali, we are going to encourage children to learn about what is Diwali," Adams said at the conference."We're going to have them start talking about what it is to celebrate the Festival of Lights and how you turn the light on within yourself."
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