Rob Bennett for the Office of Mayor Bill de Blasio
Mayor de Blasio, in blue, will add more holidays to the New York City public school calendar — but not all the days everyone was seeking.
New York City is moving to close school for two Muslim holidays and the Lunar New Year — but Mayor de Blasio isn’t so sure about the Hindu festival Diwali.
Appearing on WNYC’s “Brian Lehrer Show” on Monday, the mayor said he hadn’t taken a position on whether Diwali, the festival of lights celebrated in India and other South Asian countries, should be a day off from school.
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But he said he’d move forward with closing schools for Lunar New Year and for Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha, Muslim holy days.
“It is complicated in terms of logistics and school calendar and budget. But it’s something I want to get done in a reasonable time frame,” he said.
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A spokesman for the Indian community appealed to the mayor to recognize the Hindu holiday.
“We are disappointed. We’ve been trying for a long time … It’s very important for the community,” said Dr. Shashi Shah of the Association of Indians in America.
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Ethnic communities have pushed for all four holidays to be recognized. Former Mayor Bloomberg opposed the change, saying kids should not miss more school.
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