India Post News Service
NEW JERSEY: The 23 New Jersey public school district’s plan closing schools on Diwali, one of the biggest Indian festivals this year. Expectations are that public school districts at large and private-charter-independent schools in the State to follow the suit for this most popular Indian festival – Diwali.
Diwali falls on October 24 this year; and 2022-2023 calendars of Bernards Township, Bridgewater-Raritan Regional, Central Bucks, Cherry Hill, Clifton, East Brunswick, Edison Township, Fair Lawn, Glen Rock, Hillsborough Township, Hopewell Valley Regional, Livingston, Marlboro Township, Millburn Township, Monroe Township, Montgomery Township, Paramus, Parsippany-Troy Hills Township, Piscataway Township, Robbinsville, Sayreville, South Brunswick, West Windsor-Plainsboro Regional School-Districts/Public-Schools/Schools; show their schools closed for students on October 24. Moreover; Colts Neck Township Schools, Englewood Cliffs Public Schools, West Long Branch School District are offering ‘Short Session Day’, ‘single session’, ‘Early Dismissal’ respectively on October 24.
RajanZed, President of Universal Society of Hinduism, observed that holiday on Diwali in New Jersey schools would be a step in the positive direction in view of the presence of a substantial number of Indian students at schools around the State, as it was important to meet the religious and spiritual needs of Hindu pupils.
It is pitched that all New Jersey schools, public-private-charter-independent, to seriously look into declaring Diwali as an official holiday, thus recognizing the intersection of spirituality and education It is important that awareness about ‘other’ religions created by such holidays like Diwali would make New Jersey students well-nurtured, well-balanced, and enlightened citizens of tomorrow.
“The List of Religious Holidays Permitting Student Absence from School” of the New Jersey State Board of Education contains 21 Hindu holidays; which include Guru Purnima, Onam, Naga Panchami, Raksha Bandhan, Krishna Janmashtami, Ganesh Chaturthi, Navaratri, Diwali, Goverdhan Puja, Makar Sankranti, Pongal, Vasant Panchami, Maha Shivaratri, Govinda Dwadashi, Meena Sankranthi, HolikaDahan, Holi, SouramanaYugadi, Chandramana Yugadi, Ramnavami, and Hanuman Jayanti. Onam is listed here for 12 days, Navaratri for nine, and Diwali for five.
Hinduism is the oldest and third largest religion of the world with about 1.2 billion adherents and moksh (liberation) is its ultimate goal. There are about three million Hindus in the USA.
Also Read: Seeking Diwali holiday for Pennsylvania schools
Thank You For Your Vote!
Sorry You have Already Voted!
