Diwali declared as national holiday in Pennsylvania: A look at other US states who celebrate the festive day

The festival of Diwali has been declared as a 'national holiday' in the US state of Pennsylvania on Wednesday. Indian Americans are the second largest immigrant group in the US with an estimated population of 4 million, thus, the prominent festival is celebrated widely across the country.

The state House of Pennsylvania unanimously passed a bill to recognise Diwali as an official holiday, senator Nikil Saval tweeted.

https://twitter.com/SenatorSaval/status/1651264293512392708

Recognising the cultural diversity of the state, the bill was unanimously passed by a 50-0 vote, marking the festival of lights as an official holiday. The official recognition of Diwali is a message of inclusivity for the state's nearly 200,000 South Asian residents, Senator Rothman said as per WION News.

Here’s a look at how the US celebrates Diwali.

Last year, on October 20, New York City Mayor, Eric Adams announced that the state will celebrate Diwali, as a public holiday from 2023. New York too has a population of over 20,000 people who belong to the Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh, and Jain communities who celebrate Diwali.

Thus, the celebration of the festival of lights is popular in New York and people gather at the Hudson River to celebrate the festival together while a fireworks display is held in another location, as per a Jagran report.

The festival of Diwali was first celebrated in the US White House in 2002 and the American government officially recognised the festival in 2007.

Ever since then, the festival has been celebrated across states on a grand scale.

In 2021, the US government passed the Diwali Day Act to declare Diwali as a federal holiday in the country.

On Diwali, the US Embassy is decorated with lights and diyas and a Diwali celebration is also organised at the World Trade Centre.

Diwali is celebrated in several other US states and cities as well, including Los Angeles, Chicago, Detroit, San Francisco, Washington DC, Houston, Philadelphia, Miami, Boston, Seattle, Phoenix, Atlanta, Dallas, Denver, Minneapolis, Orlando, Las Vegas, Charlotte, Tampa Bay, Northern Virginia, and Texas.