Diwali 2021

On Diwali, wishing your days free of darkness and filled with abundant light.

This year, the third and most important day of the Diwali festival falls on Thursday, November 4; it is the day of the New Moon (5:15 PM EDT) Depending on their local customs, Hindus associate different sacred stories and texts with the holiday; all with common themes of light triumphing of darkness and good overcoming evil. Jains, Sikhs, and some Buddhists also celebrate the festival, interpreting it according to their spiritual traditions.

The Hindu calendar is a primarily a lunar calendar. It usually consists of 12 lunar months. To align the lunar year with the seasons, every two to three years, a Hindu year will have 13 months. In contrast, the Gregorian calendar used for civil timekeeping in the United States is a purely solar calendar. It uses a single leap day every four years to maintain its seasonal alignment. For civil timekeeping, India uses a reformed national calendar that has a one-to-one correspondence with the Gregorian calendar.

For the 2021–2022 academic year, the Arlington Public Schools will observe four additional religious holidays: Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Diwali, and Eid Al-Fitr. Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur were observed by Jews in September. Eid Al-Fitr (May 3) is observed by Muslims. The Friends are pleased that APS is respecting the more religious traditions and creating an inclusive environment for all students, regardless of faith and cultural background.