The Largest School District in the US Is Adding Muslim Holidays to Its Calendar

The largest school district in the US is turning heads after announcing that it will add two Muslim holidays to the school calendar next year. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio held a press conference to announce that NYC institutions, which include 1.1 million students across 1,800 schools, will now close for Eid al-Fitr, which will fall during the Summer school session, and Eid al-Adha, which will be observed Sept. 24, making the city the largest to do so.

Claiming the policy will relieve parents of having to decide between sending their children to school and observing their holiday, de Blasio said, "We're here today to make good on a promise to our Muslim brothers and sisters that a holiday of supreme importance to the Muslim community will be recognized in our school calendar so that children can honor the holiday without missing school."

The addition of Muslim holidays to public-school calendars has been gaining attention over the past year, with schools in several districts in Vermont, Massachusetts, and New Jersey already closing on those days. Last Fall, a Maryland school district decided to strip the labels of Christian and Jewish holidays like Easter, Christmas, Yom Kippur, and Rosh Hashanah from its calendar (simply announcing that schools will be closed those days), rather than adding Muslim holidays to the schedule. In Connecticut, one school district recently announced that it will be "honoring two of the Muslim religion's most holy days by not scheduling tests, field trips or major school events on those days," but that schools will remain open.

"We are committed to having a school calendar that reflects and honors the extraordinary diversity of our students," said NYC Schools Chancellor Carmen Fariña.

Other religious groups' holidays were not addressed in the announcement.