New California law makes Diwali a state holiday starting in 2026

Grant Stringer, The Mercury News on Oct 8, 2025

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Diwali, the vibrant festival of lights celebrated in Hinduism and other religions, will become an official state holiday in California starting in 2026.

The new law was sponsored by Democratic state Assembly member Ash Kalra, who represents part of San Jose. Starting next year, public schools and community colleges will be able to close on Diwali, and state employees can choose to take the day off with pay. Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, signed the bill on Monday.

The new state holiday “will uplift its message to the hundreds of thousands of Californians that celebrate and help introduce it to many throughout our diverse state,” Kalra said in a September statement. “Diwali brings communities together with the message of goodwill, peace and shared sense of renewal. California should embrace Diwali and its diversity, not keep it hidden in darkness.”

The law won’t be in effect for this year’s Diwali, on Oct. 20. The holiday is on the 15th day of the month of Kartik in the Hindu lunar calendar, which usually falls in October or November.

In the U.S. and the Bay Area, Diwali is an important holiday for South Asian Americans. Celebrants exchange gifts and light lamps that symbolize the triumph of good over evil. Adherents of Sikhism, Buddhism and Jainism also celebrate variations on Diwali.

California follows Pennsylvania last year in U.S. states declaring Diwali a state holiday. Connecticut adopted legislation in August officially observing Diwali.

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