Six Chester County Public School Districts Close School For Diwali-Day

MALVERN, PA —Six Chester County school districts are closing school on Oct. 24 for Diwali-Day, the Hindu festival of lights.

The schools are Downingtown Area, Great Valley, Owen J. Roberts, Spring-Ford Area, Unionville-Chadds Ford, West Chester Area school district .

The holiday is celebrated over five days in parts of India.

Diwali aims at dispelling the darkness and lighting up the lives and symbolizes the victory of good over evil.

Rajan Zed, president of the Universal Society of Hinduism, said that a total of 21 districts statewide are closing schools for the festival, and he is hopeful additional school will as well.

Zed of Reno, Nev., thanked the 21 districts, noting that having a day off school will give Hindu families a chance to celebrate Diwali day together at home with their children.
"If schools had declared holidays around other religious days, why not Diwali?" Zed questioned.

Zed, president of Universal Society of Hinduism, said having a day off school for Diwali in Pennsylvania schools is a step in the positive direction because it is important to meet the religious and spiritual needs of Hindu pupils.

Zed noted that since it was vital for Hindu families to celebrate Diwali day together at home with their children; closing schools on Diwali Day displays how respectful and accommodating respective school districts were to their faith.

Zed urged state officials to add Diwali as an official holiday in all the Pennsylvania public schools and persuade the private-charter-independent-parochial schools to follow.
Hinduism is the oldest and third largest religion of the world with about 1.2 billion adherents and Liberation is its ultimate goal. There are about three million Hindus in the United States.