US State Pennsylvania announces Diwali as official holiday
Two senators from Pennsylvania, Greg Rothman and Nikil Saval, submitted the bill to recognize Diwali as a state holiday in February of this year.
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FollowPennsylvania: The American state of Pennsylvania has declared the festival Diwali to be a national holiday. Senator Nikil Saval tweeted on Wednesday that the state House had approved a bill declaring Diwali as an official holiday.
"The Senate voted unanimously to recognize Diwali as an official holiday! To all Pennsylvanians who celebrate this festival of light and connection: you are seen, you are welcome, you matter. Thank you, @rothman_greg, for the opportunity to join you in introducing this bill," Senator Nikil Saval wrote on Twitter.
Two senators from Pennsylvania, Greg Rothman and Nikil Saval, submitted the bill to recognize Diwali as a state holiday in February of this year.
“Thousands of Pennsylvanians celebrate Diwali each year, including many residents of the 34th Senatorial District,” Rothman said in a statement.
“Recognizing Diwali as an official state holiday upholds and celebrates our Commonwealth’s rich cultural diversity," he said.
In Pennsylvania, there are more than 600,000 Asian Americans, with Indian Americans constituting the largest subgroup, according to India American Impact. Every year, the state's almost 200,000 Indian Americans celebrate Diwali in opulence and splendor.
“Every year, Diwali’s festival of light and connection is celebrated at temples, houses of worship, and community centres across our Commonwealth,” said Senator Saval.
“Our Commonwealth’s official recognition of Diwali sends a clear message of inclusion to the thousands of Pennsylvanians who celebrate this festival of light and connection each year: you are seen, you are welcome, you matter,” Saval said.
The Festival of Lights was first observed in the White House in 2002, and in 2007 it received formal recognition from the US government. Since that time, the Indian community has celebrated Diwali on a large scale throughout the US.
To make the celebration a nationwide holiday, the US government even submitted the Diwali Day Act in 2021.
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