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There has been a discussion brewing among the Hindu Community regarding the date of Divali in Trinidad and Tobago. While the rest of the world is celebrating this auspicious day on the 3rd of November 2013, according to an article from the Trinidad Express, the holiday is being declared as the 2nd of November 2013:
From my limited knowledge of Divali, it should be celebrated on the darkest night of the year. According to moonconnection.com, New Moon (which is the darkest night) falls on the 3rd of November:
Lunar phases in the Northern Hemisphere for November 2013
Lunar phases in the Northern Hemisphere for November 2013
. Shouldn’t this be the day of Divali?
There has been talk that the reason behind declaring the holiday one day earlier is to facilitate the by election in St. Joseph. The laws in T&T state that there is a 90 day window to announce and stage a by-election once a seat is declared vacant. The 90 day period will expire on the 20th of December 2013.
If Divali was declared as the 3rd of November 2013, then the 4th of November 2013 would have to be declared a holiday as the 3rd falls on a Sunday. Besides the fact that the population will be denied an extra day off, this act will deny the Hindu population of observing Divali on the correct day, which is unfair and immoral from a religious perspective.
The by-election will take place just two days after the Divali holiday, which will be observed on November 2.
From my limited knowledge of Divali, it should be celebrated on the darkest night of the year. According to moonconnection.com, New Moon (which is the darkest night) falls on the 3rd of November:
Lunar phases in the Northern Hemisphere for November 2013
Lunar phases in the Northern Hemisphere for November 2013
. Shouldn’t this be the day of Divali?
There has been talk that the reason behind declaring the holiday one day earlier is to facilitate the by election in St. Joseph. The laws in T&T state that there is a 90 day window to announce and stage a by-election once a seat is declared vacant. The 90 day period will expire on the 20th of December 2013.
If Divali was declared as the 3rd of November 2013, then the 4th of November 2013 would have to be declared a holiday as the 3rd falls on a Sunday. Besides the fact that the population will be denied an extra day off, this act will deny the Hindu population of observing Divali on the correct day, which is unfair and immoral from a religious perspective.