Throughout the school year we have several days off dedicated to holidays celebrated by people from certain ethnicities. Recently, the city made the Muslim holiday of EID an official day off from school. However, Diwali, celebrated by Hindu and Sikhs, is one day students don’t have off. It’s the one time that families make a special effort to come together, to eat home-cooked Indian sweets and favorite meals. A time where families light fireworks and enjoy street celebrations.Considering the fact that, 1084 amount of students out of 2168 in Thomas A. Edison High School celebrate Diwali, it should be an official day off in New York City. Even though it will add on a day at the end of the school year, those who celebrate should have the opportunity to celebrate it.

Senior, Jaspreet Parbhakar, whom practices the religion of Hinduism, was questioned on how this holiday was celebrated, “The celebration is marked by substantial firecracker showcases, occurred local people set off firecrackers. Diwali is the festival of lights.It is likewise conventional for homes to be cleaned and new attire to be worn at the celebration’s season.”
Junior, Harneet Matta, shares her belief on having the day off, “We should have Diwali off to show a equalization amongst all cultures and religions, especially since a large amount of Edison’s students celebrate this holiday in their households.”
“Diwali’s significance comes from all the lights that are lit up inside people’s homes and within religious temples of the Hindus, Sikhs, etc. People light up their houses with diyas and other colorful lights to destroy the reign of darkness and show the victory of good over evil,” Harneet Matta says.