question about Diwali date

[Anonymous]

My kids are in Arlington public school, which has a day off for Diwali. When the calendar first came out for 2025-2026, it said school would be closed on 10/21/25 for Diwali and then this summer they updated the calendar so it is closed on 10/20/25. Is that because something changed with the dates that the school could not have avoided - or should the school have been scheduled to close on 10/20 all along?

This is pretty frustrating to me as a parent (I had scheduled some appointments for my kids on 10/21 so they would not have to miss school and not I can't reschedule) and I am just wondering if it is one of those things that can't be helped or if APS made a mistake.

[Anonymous]

Fairfax has moved its Eid closure in the past. It happens.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Fairfax has moved its Eid closure in the past. It happens.

I understand that Eid moves based on when the moon is seen. I had thought Diwali was more like Judaism - based on the lunar calendar but dates are known in advance. Is that correct?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kids are in Arlington public school, which has a day off for Diwali. When the calendar first came out for 2025-2026, it said school would be closed on 10/21/25 for Diwali and then this summer they updated the calendar so it is closed on 10/20/25. Is that because something changed with the dates that the school could not have avoided - or should the school have been scheduled to close on 10/20 all along?

This is pretty frustrating to me as a parent (I had scheduled some appointments for my kids on 10/21 so they would not have to miss school and not I can't reschedule) and I am just wondering if it is one of those things that can't be helped or if APS made a mistake.

Too bad. Proper religious observance is more important than your kids' appointments.

[Anonymous]

The date is based on the Hindu lunar calendar, not Gregorian. That's why it shifted -- moon cycles basically (similar to the reason Eid shifts).

From ChatGPT:
Diwali is celebrated on the Amavasya (new moon) of the Hindu lunar month of Kartika.
This usually falls between mid-October and mid-November in the Gregorian calendar.
Since lunar months are ~29.5 days, the festival doesn’t line up with the same solar date each year.

[Anonymous]

Diwali does not move, Arlington just got the date wrong. LCPS and FCPS both had the correct date on their calendars.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kids are in Arlington public school, which has a day off for Diwali. When the calendar first came out for 2025-2026, it said school would be closed on 10/21/25 for Diwali and then this summer they updated the calendar so it is closed on 10/20/25. Is that because something changed with the dates that the school could not have avoided - or should the school have been scheduled to close on 10/20 all along?

This is pretty frustrating to me as a parent (I had scheduled some appointments for my kids on 10/21 so they would not have to miss school and not I can't reschedule) and I am just wondering if it is one of those things that can't be helped or if APS made a mistake.

Too bad. Proper religious observance is more important than your kids' appointments.

This is unnecessarily mean. OP was asking a question about whether the holiday moves around (like Eid) or if it was a situation where APS just got it wrong.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The date is based on the Hindu lunar calendar, not Gregorian. That's why it shifted -- moon cycles basically (similar to the reason Eid shifts).

From ChatGPT:
Diwali is celebrated on the Amavasya (new moon) of the Hindu lunar month of Kartika.
This usually falls between mid-October and mid-November in the Gregorian calendar.
Since lunar months are ~29.5 days, the festival doesn’t line up with the same solar date each year.

That explains why the date shifts each year but it doesn’t explain why Arlington originally thought it should close on 10/21 and then changed it to 10/20. My question is was that unavoidable or did Arlington mess up? Again Jewish holidays changed dates each year but they are knowable in advance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The date is based on the Hindu lunar calendar, not Gregorian. That's why it shifted -- moon cycles basically (similar to the reason Eid shifts).

From ChatGPT:
Diwali is celebrated on the Amavasya (new moon) of the Hindu lunar month of Kartika.
This usually falls between mid-October and mid-November in the Gregorian calendar.
Since lunar months are ~29.5 days, the festival doesn’t line up with the same solar date each year.

That explains why the date shifts each year but it doesn’t explain why Arlington originally thought it should close on 10/21 and then changed it to 10/20. My question is was that unavoidable or did Arlington mess up? Again Jewish holidays changed dates each year but they are knowable in advance.

Yeah that's an APS issue. The dates change each year but you know well in advance. Lunar calendar - the comparison to Judaism and those holidays is apt.

[Anonymous]

Another reason these religious holidays shouldn't be part of the public school calendar.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Diwali does not move, Arlington just got the date wrong. LCPS and FCPS both had the correct date on their calendars.

It sure does move. Anywhere between October to November!

Signed,

An Atheist that married a Hindu and thinks public schools should NOT follow everyone’s religious holidays.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Diwali does not move, Arlington just got the date wrong. LCPS and FCPS both had the correct date on their calendars.

It sure does move. Anywhere between October to November!

Signed,

An Atheist that married a Hindu and thinks public schools should NOT follow everyone’s religious holidays.

EXCUSE ME. You are talking to a Hindu here and you don't understand what we are talking about. Diwali is not like Eid where a priest will look at the moon and change the date. Diwali IS like Easter where it's not on the same day every year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Diwali does not move, Arlington just got the date wrong. LCPS and FCPS both had the correct date on their calendars.

It sure does move. Anywhere between October to November!

Signed,

An Atheist that married a Hindu and thinks public schools should NOT follow everyone’s religious holidays.

I assume that you also want to change Spring Break to a fixed week every year instead of tied to easter and have a winter break that aligns with the end of the quarter instead of being tied to Christmas every year, correct?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Diwali does not move, Arlington just got the date wrong. LCPS and FCPS both had the correct date on their calendars.

It sure does move. Anywhere between October to November!

Signed,

An Atheist that married a Hindu and thinks public schools should NOT follow everyone’s religious holidays.

I assume that you also want to change Spring Break to a fixed week every year instead of tied to easter and have a winter break that aligns with the end of the quarter instead of being tied to Christmas every year, correct?

there are actually a lot of people who celebrate Easter and do not want it tied to spring break (if you are observant and want to go to church during holy week, it is actually not a great week for a spring break trip!)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Diwali does not move, Arlington just got the date wrong. LCPS and FCPS both had the correct date on their calendars.

It sure does move. Anywhere between October to November!

Signed,

An Atheist that married a Hindu and thinks public schools should NOT follow everyone’s religious holidays.

I assume that you also want to change Spring Break to a fixed week every year instead of tied to easter and have a winter break that aligns with the end of the quarter instead of being tied to Christmas every year, correct?

Yes I do. Christians shouldn’t get special treatment.