There has been an effort in recent months within North Carolina’s Hindu community to petition school districts statewide to include Diwali as a school holiday for the 2015-2016 academic year, as well as subsequent years.
Diwali is a sacred religious holiday for Hindus and represents the start of a new year, in which families come together to reflect, renew and celebrate as one year ends and another begins. Often called the festival of lights, Diwali is one of the most important festivals in Hindu tradition and culture and is considered to be equal to Christmas in the West with regard to its significance and widespread observance.
Rajan Zed, president of the Universal Society of Hinduism, released a statement urging the adoption of Diwali as a holiday for reasons based on religious liberty and mutual respect between cultures. He stated that “holidays of all major religions should be honored” without students having to either miss out on important religious and cultural experiences with their families or accrue absences that could affect their performance in school.
Diwali is not only an important holiday for Hindus, but also for Sikhs, Jains and Indian Buddhists, all of whom observe this 5-day festival. Diwali is also a holiday full of symbolisms, such as “light overcoming dark” and “good over evil,” according to Jason Sturdevant, a teaching assistant of religious studies.
“These themes are deep, resonant symbols that help people understand their place in the world,” he said. “Diwali is an opportunity for families to reconnect with one another and to connect to long-held Indian traditions that may not be present in their daily lives.”
The ignorance that many Westerners have toward minority traditions and religious practices might be a major obstacle to this endeavor, according to Sturdevant.
“There can be a general unwillingness to adapt to minority groups, but in the U.S. we have a long history of doing just that,” he said. “I think this is something that, if we are going to say we’re a multicultural society, and we want Hindus to be a part of it … we ought to respect and honor them as they respect and honor traditions that are foreign to them.”
Varun Kachroo, a Hindu senior studying agricultural business management, said he would like to see Diwali as a holiday, but including every culture’s religious holidays would be difficult.
“I think that rather than classes being canceled, classes could actually inform students about the holiday so that everyone has the chance to be exposed to the culture,” Kachroo said.
P.J. Singh, a junior studying accounting, also suggested an alternative to classes being canceled.
“If Diwali isn’t added as a school holiday, maybe we could light up NC State’s campus, or even the Bell Tower, to honor the tradition,” he said. “During the time of Diwali, everyone at my temple lights up the Gurdwara.”
