US Diwali celebration: Which states have announced public holiday? Know Diwali date and puja timing in major states
Diwali will be celebrated on October 20, with various US states officially recognizing it as a holiday.
Diwali is a significant occasion not just in India, but also in the United States and other parts of the globe as several Hindus have been residing there. While the the timing to celebrate Diwali may fluctuate due to time zones, but the date generally remains the same in all states. It will be primarily celebrated on October 20. In Chicago, Diwali will be commemorated on October 20.
Diwali is customarily observed on Amavasya Tithi, which this year will last until the morning of October 21. The Lakshmi Puja Muhurat in New York is scheduled to start on October 20 from 7:17 to 8:45 p.m.
The time on the Pacific Coast is 7:38 to 9:01 p.m., whereas in the Mountain Time Zone it is 4:40 to 6:41 p.m. In a significant move, numerous states in the US officially acknowledged the festival of lights.
California leads West Coast in announcing Diwali a state holiday
While certain states offer paid holidays for Diwali, others will let schools to close. This year, California will be the first West Coast state to officially recognize Diwali as a holiday, joining Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, and Texas in honoring one of the most important holidays for its people.
On October 6, 2025, Governor Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 268 (AB 268) into law, recognizing Diwali as a state holiday that will take effect on January 1, 2026.
The legislation calls for the closure of public schools and community institutions and the request that state employees take paid time off. Assembly members Ash Kalra and Darshana Patel supported the bill, while advocacy groups like the Coalition of Hindus of North America also backed it. Kalra hailed the bill's passage on social media, describing the law as a significant step in elevating the festival's message and spreading awareness of it among Californians.
Gavin hailed it a breakthrough and also commended the law for its part in portraying the festival's importance and educating the state's citizens about it.
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Diwali festivities in New York, New Jersey
Governor Josh Shapiro signed a law establishing Diwali on the fifteenth day of Kartik in the Hindu lunisolar calendar, making Pennsylvania one of the states that acknowledged it much earlier. In 2023, the administration of New York declared Diwali to be a public school holiday, allowing for school holiday.
In 2024, Texas was among the states to designate Diwali a public holiday. The state as a whole has not embraced the holiday, therefore not all schools are closed; instead, certain school districts have decided to incorporate the celebration into their academic schedules.
