New York City Mayor Eric Adams participated in the Special Diwali celebrations at the People's House on Wednesday and said that Diwali is a day to push away the darkness (evils) and bring light to your surroundings. While taking to X (formerly known as Twitter), Adams shared his happiness and wrote, "Diwali is more than just a holiday. It is a reminder to all of us that we must push away the darkness wherever we see it and bring in light. I'm so proud to stand with our Hindu community and last night we welcomed them to the People's House for a special Diwali celebration."
Alluding to the ongoing wars across the globe, Adams said, "There is so much darkness that we are seeing every day. So if we truly believe in the life of Ramayana, if we truly believe in the life of Sita, if we truly believe in the life of Gandhi, then we must continue Gandhi’s steps. We cannot only be worshippers; we must be practitioners," reported India Times.
Earlier in June, Mayor Eric Adams announced that Diwali which is also referred to as the festival of lights will become a school holiday in US' New York City. Thousands of New York citizens celebrate Diwali every year to commemorate the victory of light over darkness. The announcement made by the Mayor came after state lawmakers recently enacted legislation designating it as a holiday in the biggest school system in the US, reported news agency ANI.
The Mayor called this moment a significant win for the local families, ANI reported.
The Mayor also tweeted, "I'm so proud to have stood with Assemblymember Jenifer Rajkumar and community leaders in the fight to make Diwali a school holiday. I know it's a little early in the year, but: Shubh Diwali!"
This year, Diwali will be observed on November 12 and it will be a day off from school for the first time in 2024.