Diwali is likely to be a school holiday in New York City, a report by the Times of India revealed quoting New York state legislature's passed bill. The bill is set to make the Hindu festival a school holiday in the city and was passed before the legislature was adjourned. The New York Senate and the assembly voted in favour of the bill before they ended their session on June 10, the report claimed.
The bill will now go to New York governor Kathy Hochul who is expected to sign it to make it a law. Earlier, two attempts were made to pass the bill in 2021 and 2022. They had both failed. The bill was introduced by assemblywoman Jenifer Rajkumar who said that it fulfilled the dream of the South Asian community when the bill passed.
Watch: Vladimir Putin shushes chatty official as Russian national anthem plays
Diwali has not been declared a national holiday in the United States yet. Last month, US Congresswoman Grace Meng introduced a bill to declare Diwali a federal holiday. If passed, the Diwali Day Act would make the festival the 12th federally recognised holiday in the US, the report said.
In April, Pennsylvania had declared Diwali as an official holiday, senator Nikil Saval informed, tweeting, “The Senate voted unanimously to recognize Diwali as an official holiday! To all Pennsylvanians who celebrate this festival of light and connection: you are seen, you are welcome, you matter.”
{{/usCountry}}In April, Pennsylvania had declared Diwali as an official holiday, senator Nikil Saval informed, tweeting, “The Senate voted unanimously to recognize Diwali as an official holiday! To all Pennsylvanians who celebrate this festival of light and connection: you are seen, you are welcome, you matter.”
{{/usCountry}}US senator Greg Rothman said, “Recognising Diwali as an official state holiday upholds and celebrates our Commonwealth’s rich cultural diversity. Thousands of Pennsylvanians celebrate Diwali each year, including many residents of the 34th Senatorial District.”