On Monday, October 20, 2025, the air was crisp, the leaves were starting to fall, and people all over the globe were preparing to observe one of the most luminous holidays of the year, Diwali. Diwali, known as the Festival of Lights, is a cultural and religious holiday with traditions arising from Hindu, Sikh, and Jain communities. The festival is a five-day celebration that honors good over evil, knowledge over ignorance, and light over darkness. The commemoration goes from toasting to the return of Lord Rama to Ayodhya after defeating the demon King Ravana, all the way to worshipping Goddess Lakshmi for the success. However, although more than one billion people observe the holiday, it seems the public education system, especially in New Jersey, is falling a little behind in celebrating this vibrant tradition. Our society is becoming increasingly diverse every day, and if Diwali celebrates victory, community, and enlightenment, why does it continue to be overshadowed and overlooked? Yet, we still make way for other cultural and religious holidays in the school calendar.
An article from The Paramus Post dated July 28, 2025, titled “Lauding 29 school districts for Diwali holiday, Hindus want all New Jersey schools close on Diwali,” stated that 29 districts in New Jersey have designated Diwali as a day off for the 2025-2026 school year. While schools are making progress, those districts account for only a small share of the people in New Jersey who celebrate the holiday and attend school. According to the Hindu American Foundation, California may have the highest number of Hindus, but New Jersey is a close second, having the highest percentage, at 3%, translating to around 285,000 people. There are schools around the state which celebrate Diwali, some even going further and observing other cultural/religious holidays such as Eid or Lunar New Year, but Mendham High School isn’t one of those schools.
The main obstacle preventing Mendham High School from delivering more days off or deeper observations for these holidays is the population and attendance. Mendham is located in a secluded part of Northern Jersey. While other areas in the state have more diversity, the truth is, there aren’t too many non-Judeo/Christian families in the area. The school calendar is determined almost solely by population and the number of students who celebrate each holiday. It is common knowledge that the more widely celebrated holidays are Judeo/Christian holidays, and while schools in Bridgewater or Parsippany may take off for Diwali, it would be because their population allows for it. When speaking with Assistant Principal, Mr Abdelaziz, he mentioned, “…Those students who are not partaking in any of those religious observances – are not engaged in school now as well…that’s why the school remains open… but if they know that a large majority of students are going to celebrate that holiday in the district, they are going to give that day off.” The state of New Jersey has a set number of days required for everyone to attend, which in turn leads to the question of which holidays will be “prioritized” and in which schools.
Even though an entire business day isn’t given to celebrate the festival, Mendham does try its best to do the culture and its people justice. Mr Abdelaziz mentioned that their DNI Committee (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion), a group of students and staff who are passionate about these topics, does many things to increase the cultural diversity in the school. He stated, “If you’ve noticed on our monitors in our school building, every month, there’s a different theme. So in September, it was Hispanic Heritage Month and Latinx Heritage Month. October was LGBTQ+ and also Hindu Heritage Month.” He calls the DNI a “work in progress,” talking about the expansion movement before he started working at Mendham, saying, “There was a DNI Committee back then, it only met quarterly. So we’ve expanded… students always feel like they have access to one of their principals in this capacity.” Mendham’s International Club celebrated Diwali itself, bringing in some food and lit diyas, an oil lamp used to decorate spaces with light. There is a clear effort to accommodate and respect other cultures and minorities to represent everyone in the school.
While Mendham may not be able to give students the extra break they may hope for, they don’t ignore their desires, and they strive for more inclusivity and acceptance throughout the building. The school and its staff and students are trying their best to acknowledge the diversity present and respect everyone, which is the most important thing.
