California just made Diwali a state holiday. Who gets day off work and school?

Sacramento Bee ^ | 10/12/2025 | Angela Rodriguez

[marcusmaximus]

California is adding a new holiday to its calendar. On Monday, Oct. 6, Gov.

Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 268 into law, making California the third state to designate Diwali — the Hindu festival of lights — as an official statewide holiday.

“Diwali, a festival of great significance to Indian Americans and South Asian Americans, is celebrated annually by Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, and Jains throughout the United States and across the globe,” the bill says.

Also known as Deepavali, Diwali is “one of the most sacred festivals in Hindu Dharma traditions” celebrated by “more than a billion people around the globe,” according to the Hindu American Foundation.

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TOPICS: Chit/Chat
KEYWORDS: aimarcus; california; h1b; hireamerican; india; jobthieves

[marcusmaximus]

No holiday for the millions of American tech workers whose jobs they stole.

[crusty old prospector]

Glorifying idol worshipping. What a state.

[Bon of Babble]

This is a sign of being conquered.

While our traditional holidays are being canceled or diminished - Lincoln’s and Washington’s birthdays are now generic “President’s Day” - Columbus Day is “Indigenous People’s Day,” Christmas and Easter Vacations are now Winter and Spring Break - lest we offend anyone, right?

[Red Badger]

Build Diwali................Di sooner Di better...........

[econjack]

Then let them travel to India to celebrate it.

[econjack]

...Diwali is “one of the most sacred festivals in Hindu Dharma traditions” celebrated by “more than a billion people around the globe,”

...and by no one in CA, except in Silicon Valley.

[9YearLurker]

Why should we have official holidays for something the vast majority of our population doesn’t celebrate?

[Night Hides Not]

I’m outraged, my company didn’t recognize Juneteenth this year. Surprised that Valley Ranch and Frisco don’t recognize Diwali.

[kiryandil]

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

If it is a “statewide” holiday then everyone who works for the state or regulated business should get the day off.

[kiryandil]

[central_va]

Thanks again. Ignore the pinheads that call us “xenophobic “.

[central_va]

Pagan bump

[escapefromboston]

As if California wasn’t demonic enough they had to have an official demon worshipping holiday

[Vaduz]

Communists do anything to destabilize America Newsom is no exception.

[LouAvul]

Hey, the Worldwide Church of Satan is headquartered in san fransicko.

[LouAvul]

You’ve posted that picture many times. I know it’s from Forrest Gump but what’s it mean? (I saw it/ didn’t like it/ don’t like tom hanks/etc)

[MeanWestTexan]

The Jewish population of California is 3.1%

The Hindu populations of California is 1.9%

Jewish people have been a part of California since it was California.

And yet they’ve never demanded Rosh Hashanah or Yom Kippur to be official holidays. They just work around it. Never occurred to them, either.

THAT is one of the many differences between an assimilated people and conquerors.

[Flavious_Maximus]

They don’t come here to assimilate. They come here to take over. And it’s been this way for decades.

[Vermont Lt]

States “recognize” these holidays all over the place. Usually, they are ceremonial only. Even in MA, where everyone is “equally important” they cannot force an employer to make any of these days “paid” time off. The banks are open. You can buy liquor. And the world revolves around the sun. The only way you would know it’s a “holiday” is that the local news channel would do a “kicker” where they showed some kid celebrating.

That said, in communities where a large portion of the people celebrate it is possible to close the schools. Our town has a 30% jewish population. In the fall the kids get Yom Kippur and Rosh Hashana as days off. They add a day at the start and ending of the school year and no one really notices. Except the grocery stores are empty.