‘Diwali is our culture.’ Holiday receives recognition from California, Sacramento
After California legislators and Gov. Gavin Newsom recently made Diwali a state holiday, Sacramento Vice Mayor Karina Talamantes said local leaders and community members had a request: “Can we please do a resolution at City Council?” Talamantes said. “This is historic, this is huge.”
On Tuesday, she, Mayor Kevin McCarty and Councilmember Mai Vang, will do just that to honor the religious celebration.
“It’s such a big celebration of culture, diversity,” Talamantes said.
The holiday is a major event in India, particularly for followers of Hinduism and Sikhism, and is marked by candle and lamp lighting to symbolize light over darkness and good over evil.
“Even if there is darkness in the sky, by lighting our small lights we can enlighten ourselves, enlighten our lives and enlighten this world,” Satty Kaur said on Sunday, at an event honoring Indians and other cultural traditions at a Natomas-area park.
Talamantes helped organize the event along with Sumiti Mehta, a Natomas Unified School District board member.
Starting next year, public schools can choose to be closed on Diwali, which changes dates every year because it is based on a lunar calendar. This year’s holiday begins on Oct. 20.
But Mehta is hopeful that her youngest son, currently a high school freshman, and other Indian students will at least be able to take part of the day off to participate in several of its traditions.
That includes making and eating sweets, offering prayers and burning candles.
“I think every Indian family feels close to those traditions,” said Mehta, who was born and raised in New Delhi and moved to the United States about 15 years ago. “And they want their kids to learn those traditions.”
Sundeep Walia, who grew up India’s Punjab region, said her favorite memories from the holiday include spending time with family, gifts and an array of delicious foods.
“Diwali is our culture,” she said, “and it’s nice to have a holiday that day.”
