PHOTO : Courtesy Vrutti Dave-Shukla.
The much looked forward to holiday of Diwali in Public Schools is here in New York. School-goers and their parents have mixed feelings about it.
News India Times spoke to Dr.Vrutti Dave-Shukla of Roslyn, NY; Kalpita Parikh of Flushing, NY; Ruta Dave from Syosset, NY; Shreya Mehta from Jericho, NY; Kavita Pathak from Los Angeles, CA; Brinda Soneji from Manhasset Hills, NY; Shraddha Patel from Los Angeles, CA; and Dharini Trivedi of Roslyn, NY. They all said the school holiday is only a first step and their task of devising newer ways of bringing Indian culture to the friends and classmates of their children has to continue.
Appreciation and Impact of the Diwali School Holiday
The Diwali school holiday has been mainly appreciated for offering time together to celebrate as a family.
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“They love that we can spend the day together celebrating our traditions,” said Dr. Vrutti Dave-Shukla. “It makes it easier to celebrate fully, from decorating and cooking to connecting with family without feeling rushed or having to choose between school and cultural traditions,” she said.
Impact of Diwali school holiday
Conversations about Diwali seem to have increased. Interest and curiosity among the children’s classmates and friends about what Diwali is, how it is celebrated and the activities to engage through the day have definitely increased after the holiday became official.
Dave-Shukla said she has noticed a lot more curiosity and thoughtful questions about Diwali, about how it is celebrated and about the meaning and tradition of it. “It’s been heartwarming to see friends and neighbors take such an interest and want to join in the spirit of the celebration,” she said.
She has also noticed a new interest among classmates to whom she reads a Diwali book, does Rangoli craft, shares bindis and bangles, and distributes Gulab Jamuns annually. “The kids were so enthusiastic and genuinely curious. They embraced every part of it with excitement and joy,” Dave-Shukla said.
Kalpita Parikh of Flushing, NY, said her daughter’s classmates have been asking about Diwali now. Parikh has been visiting them on Diwali for years bearing gifts, she said. Parikh has also noticed more curiosity in her own daughter now with questions about days of Diwali festival and different foods in different regions of India.
Diwali as school holiday is not enough
Most of the mothers said they felt Diwali holiday alone does not ensure increased understanding of Indian culture.
Kavita Pathak feels awareness of Indian culture is still far. “I think we still have a long way to go where the teachers take initiative to carve out time with the kids in the Diwali teaching and celebration,” Pathak said.
Brinda Soneji is skeptical. “Even though this is now a school holiday, educators and administrators are still hesitant to host school wide knowledge sharing workshops to bring awareness for all students,” she said, adding, “We have a long way to go”.
Others said they have had to tiptoe around the cultural and religious aspect of Diwali in the school system which is supposed to teach tolerance and acceptance of all cultures.
Time to build on Diwali school holiday
Perhaps what is required is building on the momentum of this excitement and impact to usher in more awareness about Indian culture.
A good sign is that communities have now become more open and multicultural according to Dave-Shukla. She spoke about her daughter wearing a bindi in school and telling her friends about Diwali. “Watching her share her culture so confidently felt really special. I don’t think I felt as comfortable doing that when I was growing up. It’s a beautiful sign of how much more inclusive and open our communities have become,” Shukla said.
Educating through personal example
It also seems that, for real impact, the Diwali school holiday has to go hand-in-hand with educating through personal example, following cultural traditions at home, talking about customs, recounting memories of childhood celebrations, cooking special food items, and bringing in the lights, new clothes, sparklers, diyas, sweets, guests, uncles and aunts, and more.
Ruta Dave has been part of the committee advocating for Diwali to be recognized as a holiday of the Syosset School Board and of New York Mayor. Dave spoke about her grown children following the customs set at home. “We do our Lakshmi Pooja, decorate the house, visit the temple on New Year’s Day, and we’ve even started giving gifts to the kids on Diwali instead of Christmas, so they understand the significance of our festival of lights,” Dave said..
Shreya Mehta is a second generation Indian American born and raised in a non-diverse community of Berkshire, with 8th and 5th grader children. “I’m making a more conscience effort to educate myself and ensure I pass on the knowledge of what each day means and why we celebrate it,” Mehta said.
Mehta follows a regime of spending the days of Diwali together as a family. “I see it as a big step forward than what I grew up with, but there is still a long way to go. Still, it’s paving the path for the future”.
Soneji has created a deck this year for second graders, discussing how Diwali is different in different parts of India and outside of India. ( https://www.instagram.com/p/DP7EmkEDgcL/?igsh=MW54am55YXk3YXQyZQ==). She has been getting other parents involved, making Diwali a cultural activity for the younger generation and continuing education of her own children about Diwali’s religious and historical significance.
Shraddha Patel of Los Angeles, CA, has also been doing her part. She and a fellow Indian mom have been going to their sons’ elementary classroom in Indian clothes and telling the story of Diwali and sharing sweets.