The “long overdue” step will encourage children to learn about the festival of lights, said Mayor Eric Adams.
Diwali festival will be a public school holiday in New York City starting in 2023. This sends a message about the significance of the city’s inclusiveness and the “long overdue” step will encourage children to learn about the festival of lights, said Mayor Eric Adams.
"Through declaring Diwali a holiday in New York City public schools, we wanted to send a loud and clear message to the countless number of people who acknowledge this period of time of celebration. At the same time, this is an educational moment because when we acknowledge Diwali, we are going to encourage children to learn about Diwali. We're going to have them start talking about what it is to celebrate the festival of lights, and how to turn the light on within yourself," he said, as reported by Telegraph India.
Adams said, “As we deal with so much darkness that is around us, we fail to realise the overwhelming amount of light that is around us. And when we take this period to acknowledge Diwali, we are acknowledging the light that is within us, the light that clearly can push away darkness and that is why this is so significant.”
Adams, joined by New York Assembly Member Jenifer Rajkumar and New York City Schools Chancellor David Banks, said on Thursday that in his conversations during the campaign trail, he “learned so much” about Diwali and what the festival of lights means.
Consul General of India in New York Randhir Jaiswal thanked Adams for making Diwali a school holiday. “This had been a long pending demand of the Indian-American community. The recognition gives a deeper meaning to diversity and pluralism in New York City while allowing people from all walks of life to experience, celebrate and enjoy Indian ethos and heritage,” he said.
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