Anonymous
08/27/2025 16:48
Subject: question about Diwali date
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Another reason these religious holidays shouldn't be part of the public school calendar.
Same for Xmas!
Good news for you, Christmas isn't a school holiday in FCPS.
Anonymous
08/27/2025 11:01
Subject: question about Diwali date
why do they get off for this holiday? Isn't it celebrated in the evening when dark? If it is, kids are already home after school to clebate. How many Hindu teachers are there in APS that they might need the day to prep for the holiday?
Anonymous
08/25/2025 15:13
Subject: question about Diwali date
It would be much better if winter break aligned with the end of the semester. So, we could have it the second and third week of January.Anonymous wrote: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?
FCPS tried to fix Spring Break and it failed horribly because it was then out of sync with the surrounding school systems. Also, Christmas isn't a specific school holiday and is covered by Winter Break. Lots and lots of people take time off at the end of the year. The schools could not feasibly run during that time.
Anonymous
08/25/2025 14:37
Subject: question about Diwali date
MCPS is 10/20 too. I’m a Hindu who is still surprised schools close. My guess is that it’s about the long weekend. Indians that I know will celebrate on the weekend not on Tuesday.
Anonymous
08/25/2025 14:30
Subject: Re:question about Diwali date
Another reason these religious holidays shouldn't be part of the public school calendar.
Same for Xmas!
I totally agree, as an atheist.
Anonymous
08/25/2025 14:28
Subject: question about Diwali date
Anonymous wrote:Another reason these religious holidays shouldn't be part of the public school calendar.
Same for Xmas!
Anonymous
08/25/2025 14:26
Subject: question about Diwali date
Anonymous wrote: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 think you may have misunderstood the question. It's not a question of whether the holiday moves on the Gregorian calendar, but whether it moves at the last minute based on other factors (like how Eid moves based on lunar sightings). It sounds like APS could/should have known Diwali was October 20 this year, and that putting it on their calendar on October 21 was a typo that caused a headache for OP.
Correct. Yes, the date of Diwali does change year to year (like Easter does), but it's not a lunar sighting thing, where the date change happens within a few days of the holiday.
There is no moon sighting for Diwali. It is not Karva Chauth where women break their fast after sighting the moon. Diwali is celebrated in the darkest night (new moon) of the calendar. There is no moon to see. But, it is based on the lunar calendar.
Anonymous
08/25/2025 14:26
Subject: Re:question about Diwali date
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.
My iphone says that Diwali is on 10/21.
Anonymous
08/25/2025 14:24
Subject: question about Diwali date
Anonymous wrote:Diwali does not move, Arlington just got the date wrong. LCPS and FCPS both had the correct date on their calendars.
Wrong. Diwali is based on the lunar (moon) calendar. Diwali dates move.
Anonymous
08/25/2025 14:21
Subject: question about Diwali date
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 think you may have misunderstood the question. It's not a question of whether the holiday moves on the Gregorian calendar, but whether it moves at the last minute based on other factors (like how Eid moves based on lunar sightings). It sounds like APS could/should have known Diwali was October 20 this year, and that putting it on their calendar on October 21 was a typo that caused a headache for OP.
Correct. Yes, the date of Diwali does change year to year (like Easter does), but it's not a lunar sighting thing, where the date change happens within a few days of the holiday.
Anonymous
08/25/2025 14:20
Subject: question about Diwali date
Anonymous wrote:Diwali does not move, Arlington just got the date wrong. LCPS and FCPS both had the correct date on their calendars.
+1
Anonymous
08/25/2025 14:06
Subject: question about Diwali date
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 think you may have misunderstood the question. It's not a question of whether the holiday moves on the Gregorian calendar, but whether it moves at the last minute based on other factors (like how Eid moves based on lunar sightings). It sounds like APS could/should have known Diwali was October 20 this year, and that putting it on their calendar on October 21 was a typo that caused a headache for OP.
Anonymous
08/25/2025 07:38
Subject: question about Diwali date
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?
FCPS tried to fix Spring Break and it failed horribly because it was then out of sync with the surrounding school systems. Also, Christmas isn't a specific school holiday and is covered by Winter Break. Lots and lots of people take time off at the end of the year. The schools could not feasibly run during that time.