At the Hindu Temple of Fresno last year, Armaan Arora celebrated Diwali alongside community members who gathered for prayers, songs, food and other traditions marking the festival of lights.<\/p>\n
Anyone is welcome to celebrate Diwali, Arora says, regardless of whether the festival is part of your formal religion.<\/p>\n
\u201cAside from the prayer and the story of the festival, it\u2019s really about using colors on your floor to make designs, lighting everything up and gift-giving.\u201d<\/p>\n
Arora compares Diwali to Christmas because both holidays bring families and loved ones together. Both holidays also include religious traditions as well as celebrations that go beyond worship.<\/p>\n
During Diwali, people light oil lamps called diyas, decorate their homes with outdoor lights and gather for elaborate meals featuring foods such as gulab jamun, samosas and puri.<\/p>\n
While Diwali has roots in Hindu traditions, it is also celebrated by Sikh, Jain and Buddhist communities, each with their own traditions and stories, making it one of the most widely observed festivals across South Asia.<\/p>\n
This year Diwali will fall on Nov. 8, but the date varies each year, similar to Lunar New Year, and is based on the Hindu lunar calendar.<\/p>\n
Yet, California is having a hard time officially recognizing the holiday. And community members who celebrate Diwali in Fresno don\u2019t understand why.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Back and forth<\/p>\n
The debate over recognition has gone back and forth for years.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Last year, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed AB 268<\/a> into law, making Diwali eligible to become California\u2019s 12th state-recognized holiday.\u00a0<\/p>\n The law would have allowed some state employees and school staff who celebrate Diwali to take the day as a paid holiday. Public schools and community colleges also could have closed, while teachers could have incorporated lessons and activities recognizing the holiday.<\/p>\n But the law quickly faced a legal challenge from the San Francisco Taxpayers Association, which filed a petition in Sacramento County Superior Court arguing that recognizing Diwali would be too costly and would give preferential treatment to a religious holiday. The group argued that the law violated provisions of both the U.S. and California constitutions.<\/p>\n The association estimated that potential school and state facility closures, along with paid holidays for state employees, could cost California taxpayers as much as $68.8 million, according to court documents.<\/p>\n Last month, a Sacramento judge ruled in favor of the taxpayers group, effectively blocking California from adding Diwali as a state holiday. The judge ruled<\/a> that the bill\u2019s language relied too heavily on the festival\u2019s theological and spiritual heritage rather than framing the holiday in secular terms. <\/p>\n Puneet Kaur, senior state policy manager at the Sikh Coalition<\/a>, said the legislation included multiple faith communities that celebrate Diwali.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIn our opinion, the lawsuit incorrectly characterizes AB 268 as favoring a single religion, when in fact this holiday is observed by multiple faiths and cultures,\u201d Kaur said. \u201cMoreover, it does not require anyone to participate in a religious observance or mandate statewide school closures\u2014it simply provides recognition and accommodation for communities whose traditions have long been underrepresented in the public calendar.\u201d<\/p>\n This accommodation, Kaur said, already affords other religious, cultural and heritage observances, such as Lunar New Year, Juneteenth, and Native American Day, in accordance with the California State Department of Human Resources personal holiday policy<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n Kaur said the Sikh Coalition was disappointed by the court\u2019s decision, particularly because AB 268 passed with broad bipartisan and multifaith support.<\/p>\n The legal fight comes as other efforts to recognize Diwali continue. The California State Assembly has since adopted House Resolution 137<\/a>, recognizing Diwali on Nov. 8 this year.. Unlike AB 268, the resolution does not establish Diwali as a paid state holiday.<\/p>\n Why those who celebrate Diwali want a state recognition<\/p>\n