UK Parliament home

This petition was submitted during the 2019 to 2024 Parliament

View other petitions from this Parliament

Closed Make the day of Diwali a public holiday

Closed on

Hindus form the third largest religious group in UK. As Diwali is one of the most important festival for Hindus, similar to Christmas, we would like it to be a Public Holiday.

Diwali is a symbol of hope for Hindus, and for believers is connected with universal compassion, inner joy of peace and awareness of unity. Legislation to make Diwali a nationally recognised holiday is being considered in the United States of America, on similar grounds this petition is being put forward.

17,486 signatures

Show on a map

100,000

Petition progress

View all updates for this petition, with the most recent first.

  • Petition closed

  • Government responded to this petition

    The Government values the contribution the Indian diaspora makes to this country and the importance of Diwali. However, there are no plans to create a public holiday for Diwali.

    Read the response in full

    The Government is committed to bringing people together in strong, united communities. We encourage and support people to have shared aspirations, values and experiences. Festivals such as Diwali contribute towards this objective. We regret however that we cannot agree to create a new bank holiday for Diwali.

    The Government regularly receives requests for additional bank and public holidays to celebrate a variety of occasions. However the current pattern of bank holidays is well established and accepted. The Banking and Financial Dealings Act 1971 provides the basis for UK bank holidays each year and contains provisions for appointing additional or substitute days. Additional bank holidays, including those created after 1971, and some substitute days (for example when bank holidays fall at a weekend) are appointed by Royal proclamation.

    There are eight permanent bank and public holidays in England and Wales. There are nine in Scotland and ten in Northern Ireland. 

    While an additional bank holiday may benefit some communities and sectors, the cost to the economy of an additional bank holiday remains considerable. An assessment following the additional bank holiday for the Diamond Jubilee in 2012 saw that (across the UK as a whole) it can cost the economy around £1.2 billion.

    Full-time workers in the UK are entitled to 28 days statutory paid holiday each year and legislation does not give employees a right to time off or extra pay on bank holidays.  Employers are under no legal obligation to grant a religious based request for time off. However, the Government’s policy is to encourage employers to respond flexibly and sympathetically to any requests for leave including requests for religious holidays, bearing in mind business needs.

    Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

  • Government will respond to this petition

    This petition got more than 10,000 signatures meaning that government will respond to it.

  • Petition published

    This petition can now be signed.

    If this petition gets 10,000 signatures, government will respond to it.

    If this petition gets 100,000 signatures, it will be considered for debate in Parliament.

    This petition will stay open until 15 May 2022.