LOS ANGELES (AP) — California has become the third U.S. state to declare Diwali — Hindu “Festival of Lights” – as an official state holiday.
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the bill into law Tuesday, which will go into effect Jan. 1. He will allow government schools and community colleges to close on Diwali. Government employees will be able to take the day off, and public school students will receive an excused pass to celebrate the holiday. The new law recognizes that Diwali is also celebrated by Sikhs, Jains and Buddhists.
Pennsylvania became the first US state to make Diwali a national holiday in 2024, followed by Connecticut earlier this year.
Assemblymember Ash Kalra, a San Jose Democrat who was a co-author of the bill with Darshana Patel, an assembly member from San Diego, said he grew up celebrating the festival with family members, but it was an experience that was isolated from the rest of his life.
“The fact that South Asian children can proudly celebrate this event and share it with others is an important moment,” he said.
San Jose, a city in California's Silicon Valley, has a significant population of Indian Americans. According to Pew Poll 2025960,000 of the country's 4.9 million Indian population – or 20% – live in California. American Hindu organizations, including the American Hindu Foundation and the North American Hindu Coalition, advocated for the law.
“Provisions that allow students to take a day off without consequences and government employees to take paid time off are an important step toward making Diwali truly accessible to those who celebrate,” said Sameer Kalra, managing director of the Hindu American Foundation.
Diwali, which falls on October 20 this year, is derived from the word “Deepavali,” which means “row of lights.” Celebrating light rows of lamps symbolize the victory of light over darkness and knowledge over ignorance. The holiday is celebrated with festive gatherings, fireworks, feasts and prayers.
Although Diwali is a major religious festival for Hindus, it is also celebrated by Sikhs, Jains and Buddhists. The origins of Diwali vary depending on the region. All these stories, regardless of religion, have the same basic theme: good defeating evil and light over darkness.
Sikhs, for example, celebrate Bandi Chhor Diwas, a day that coincides with Diwali, to commemorate the release of Guru Hargobind, a revered figure of the faith who was imprisoned for 12 years by the Mughal emperor Jahangir.
Puneet Kaur Sandhu, senior public policy manager for the Sacramento-based Sikh Coalition, said her organization worked with Ash Kalra to make sure the bill's language included members of other religions whose holidays also coincide with Diwali.
“It’s so meaningful that all of us in the community can celebrate this day,” she said.
Rohit Shendrikar, board chairman of the South Asian Network of Southern California, said the legislation not only recognizes the South Asian community in California, but also the impact its members have had on the state.
“I think about my parents’ immigrant experience when they moved here in the 1960s,” he said. “I celebrate Diwali at home with my parents and children, who will now have the opportunity to share their traditions and customs with friends. It helps build bonds among Californians.”
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