Starting next year, Diwali, also known as Deepavali or the “Festival of Lights,” will be recognized as a state holiday in California.
The state will offer paid time off for state employees and permit some community colleges and public schools to close on the holiday.
The bill was co-authored by South Asian American Assemblymembers Ash Kalra (D-San Jose) and Darshana Patel (D-San Diego), according to AP. Governor Gavin Newsom signed the bill into law on Oct. 7, making California the third U.S. state to recognize Diwali.
Diwali is significant to Hindus, Sikhs, Jains and Buddhists. The five-day festival began on Oct. 20 this year, but is observed on a different date each year in accordance with the Hindu lunar calendar. The bill specifies that the state holiday will coincide with “the 15th day of the month of Kartik” in the lunar calendar each year.
“It is amazing to see Diwali become an official state holiday in California. This recognition shines a light on the cultural and spiritual importance of Diwali for South Asian communities across the state,” said Virginia Loh-Hagan, director of the Asian Pacific Islander Desi American Center.
The APIDA Center hosted events celebrating Diwali from Oct. 20 to 23 this year.
“We look forward to continuing to celebrate Diwali with students through events that honor tradition, community, history in the spirit of light and renewal,” Loh-Hagan said.
“The whole idea of America is to be including of all cultures,” said Shreyas Basu, the vice president of Sanskriti, SDSU’s Indian American student association. “And I think this is just a big step towards that.”
Sanskriti held its annual Diwali celebration on Nov. 2 in Montezuma Hall.
Kedar, a graduate student and student worker from India, said he was “not with” the law, suggesting instead that America should only celebrate “American holidays.”
Tanisha, a fourth-year student from India and attendee at Sanskriti’s Diwali event, expressed that it was good to accept different cultures and recognize the Indian presence in America.
“It creates a very inclusive environment here in California,” she said.
