California Declares Diwali as Official State Holiday

In a historic move, the state of California has officially recognized the festival of Diwali as a state holiday. With this decision, California becomes the third U.S. state — after Pennsylvania and Connecticut — to formally declare Diwali a public holiday.

Governor Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill AB-268 into law, which was introduced by Assemblymembers Darshana Patel and Ash Kalra. Newsom emphasized the importance of cultural inclusion and praised the growing diversity within the state.

The organization Indiaspora welcomed the move, calling it a proud and joyful moment for the over 1 million Indian-Americans living in California.

The new law permits public schools and community colleges in California to close in observance of Diwali. It also allows state employees to take the day off, and students will be granted excused absences to celebrate the festival.

The law acknowledges that Diwali is celebrated by Hindus, Jains, and Buddhists. Former U.S. President George W. Bush was the first to officially recognize the tradition at the federal level.

Diwali is also a public holiday in countries like Fiji, Guyana, Mauritius, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, and Nepal. While not official holidays, Diwali is widely celebrated in Canada, the UK, Thailand, and Malaysia as well.