California makes Diwali an official statewide holiday
Los Angeles – LOS ANGELES (AP) — California has become the third U.S. state to designate Diwali — the Hindu “festival of lights” — as an official statewide holiday.
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill Tuesday to take effect Jan. 1. This would allow public schools and community colleges to close on Diwali. State employees could choose to take the day off and public school students will get an excused absence to celebrate the holiday. The new law recognizes that Diwali is also celebrated by Sikhs, Jains and Buddhists.
Pennsylvania was the first US state to make Diwali a statewide holiday in 2024, followed by Connecticut earlier this year.
Assemblyman Ash Kalra, a San Jose Democrat who co-wrote the bill with San Diego Assemblymember Darshana Patel, said he grew up celebrating the festival with family members, but it was an experience that was isolated from the rest of his life.
“Having South Asian children I can be proudly celebrated and sharing it with others is an important moment,” he said.
San Jose, a city in California’s Silicon Valley, has a significant Indian American population. According to a 2025 Pew survey, 960,000 of the nation’s Indian population of 4.9 million – or 20% – live in California. Hindu American organizations, including the Hindu American Foundation and the Coalition of Hindus in North America, advocated for the law.
“Provisions that allow students to take the day off without repercussions and state employees to take paid leave are important steps toward making Diwali truly accessible to those who celebrate,” said Samir Kalra, executive director of the Hindu American Foundation.
Diwali, which falls on October 20 this year, is derived from the word ‘Deepavali’, which means ‘a row of lights’. Light celebrants light lamps to symbolize the victory of light over darkness and knowledge over ignorance. Holidays are celebrated with festive gatherings, fireworks, parties and prayers.
While Diwali is a major religious festival for Hindus, it is also observed by Sikhs, Jains and Buddhists. The origin story of Diwali varies depending on the region. All of these stories, across faiths, have the same underlying themes of good triumphing over evil and light over darkness.
Sikhs, for example, celebrate Bandi Chhor Divas – a day that overlaps with Diwali – to commemorate the release of Guru Hargobind, a revered figure in the faith, who had been imprisoned for 12 years by the Mughal emperor Jahangir.
Puneet Kaur Sandhu, Sacramento-based senior director of state policy for the Sikh Coalition, said her organization worked with Ash Kalra to ensure the bill’s language included celebrants of other religions whose holidays also coincide with Diwali.
“It’s so meaningful that all of us in the community can take this day to celebrate,” she said.
Rohit Shendrikar, board president of the South Asian Network in Southern California, said this law 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 am celebrating Diwali together at home with my parents and children, who will now have the opportunity to share their traditions and customs with friends. It helps connect Californians.”
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