How Many Official State Holidays Does California Need?

A newly introduced bill would create an official Hindu state holiday. Two percent of California is Hindu. New Jersey, with 8 million residents, has a larger Hindu population than California.

What about Catholic, Presbyterian, Muslim, Buddhist and Jewish official state holidays? Wouldn’t these groups get jealous? 28% of California residents are Catholic.

Hinduism is the third-largest religion worldwide, after Christianity and Islam, according to History.com.

Practicing members of George Carlin’s Frisbeetarianism and the Temple of the Jedi Order’s Jediism would also feel left out without official state holidays.

Assembly Bill 268 was authored by Assemblyman Ash Kalra (D-San Jose), and Assemblywoman Darshana Patel (D-San Diego). The bill says:

Existing law designates specific days as holidays in this state. Existing law designates holidays on which community colleges and public schools are authorized to close pursuant to a memorandum of understanding between the governing board and represented employees, including “Native American Day” on the 4th Friday in September. Existing law entitles state employees, with specified exceptions, to be given time off with pay for specified holidays.

This bill would add “Diwali” to the list of state holidays. The bill would authorize community colleges and public schools to close on “Diwali,” as specified. The bill would authorize state employees to elect to take time off with pay in recognition of “Diwali,” as specified.

Existing law adopts state holidays as judicial holidays, with certain exceptions, including Admission Day and Columbus Day.

This bill would add “Diwali” to the list of holidays that are excluded from designation as a judicial holiday.

Diwali, also called Deepavali or Deepawali, is the Hindu festival of lights, with variations celebrated in other Indian religions such as Jainism and Sikhism.

According to Globe contributor Chris Micheli, the following State of California holidays are provided for in California statute, Gov’t Code Section 6700:

• Every Sunday.
• January 1st.
• The third Monday in January, known as “Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.”
• February 12th, known as “Lincoln Day.”
• The third Monday in February.
• March 31st, known as “Cesar Chavez Day.”
• The last Monday in May.
• July 4th.
• The first Monday in September.
• September 9th, known as “Admission Day.”
• The fourth Friday in September, known as “Native American Day.”
• The second Monday in October, known as “Columbus Day.”
• November 11th, known as “Veterans Day.”
• December 25th.
• Good Friday from 12 noon until 3 p.m.

That’s 14 official state holidays. Many in the state say that’s about 4-5 “state holidays” too much.

Is this really how elected lawmakers should spend their time? How does this improve the lives of their constituents? And why are lawmakers so self-absorbed in identity rather than integrity, worthiness, altruism and selflessness?

I jokingly said to a friend about this bill, “I’m blonde. I think California needs a holiday for blondes.” After all, Blond hair naturally occurs in roughly 2% of the world’s population.