Diwali is also known as the Festival of Lights is a Hindu religious festival and one of the most important festivals within Hinduism. It symbolizes the spiritual "victory of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance". Have you heard of Diwali before?

Have you ever attended any Diwali events?

Diwali will be a public school holiday in New York City starting in 2023 "to recognize over 200,000 New Yorkers" who celebrate the festival, NYC Mayor Eric Adams said in a press conference last week. The recent move in NYC has raised questions as to why a similar move hasn't already been made in Canada, which is home to millions of South Asians. In 2011, about 2.4 million people, or 7.2 per cent of Canada's population, reported affiliation with Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist and Islamic religions, according to Statistics Canada. Data shows that one in five people coming to Canada in the last several years were born in India, making it the top country of birth for recent arrivals. Do you think Diwali should be a stat holiday in Canada?