Rep. Grace Meng (D-NY), who represents parts of Queens, has reintroduced legislation that would establish Diwali as a federal holiday in the United States. Meng says the move is “recognition that is long overdue.”
Diwali, also known as Deepavali or the Festival of Lights, is celebrated by multiple religious communities, including Hindus, Sikhs, Jains and Buddhists, according to a press release from Meng’s office. Her bill, called the Diwali Day Act, would add Diwali to the list of federally recognized holidays, making it the 12th.
Meng announced the reintroduction in a post on X, tying it to the holiday’s values.
“This Diwali, I’m wishing everyone celebrating in Queens and beyond joy, prosperity, and light,” Meng wrote. “My Diwali Day Act would make this joyous holiday a federal holiday — recognition that is long overdue.”
She also referenced a recent incident in Seattle, writing, “The racist, anti-Hindu disruption in Seattle stands against the spirit of Diwali. Everyone deserves to celebrate safely and freely.”
The text of the bill notes that “Diwali falls on the fifteenth day of the eighth month or the New Moon Day in the month of Kãrtika of the Vedic lunar calendar, which occurs during October or November.” Because the date is tied to the lunar calendar, it shifts from year to year rather than falling on a fixed day.
The legislation further states that “Diwali signifies the victory of good over evil and unfairness, and knowledge over ignorance,” describing it as “an annual time for celebration, reflection, prayer, and gatherings with family, friends, and community.”
What federal recognition would mean
If enacted, the Diwali Day Act would give civil servants and teachers the day off, joining the existing roster of federal holidays. Supporters also see it as a boost to broader recognition of the country’s Indian population, which stands at roughly 6 million people, or just under two percent of the United States’ 340 million residents.
Nineteen lawmakers have signed on as co-sponsors, including Reps. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), Ami Bera (D-CA), Ro Khanna (D-CA), Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) and fellow New York Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-NY).
The bill’s reintroduction comes against a backdrop in which Hindus made up about one percent of the U.S. population as of 2020, according to the Pew Research Center, with the country accounting for roughly 0.3 percent of the world’s total Hindu population.
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