It is only appropriate that we commemorate this widely observed holiday: Congresswoman.
Bureau Report
WASHINGTON, DC: Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard has co-sponsored a House Resolution calling for the U.S. Postal Service to establish a postage stamp to commemorate Diwali, the “festival of lights” marking the Hindu New Year.
Diwali is observed by Hindus, Christians, Jains, Sikhs, and Buddhists in the United States, India, and around the world.
The resolution for a Diwali stamp was initially sponsored in the US House of Representatives by Congresswomen Carolyn B. Maloney and Grace Meng, from New York, and Congressman Ami Bera, of California, which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform
“The Diwali festival honors self-awareness, righteousness, and service to others before ourselves,” said Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, who is the first Hindu-American to serve in the U.S. Congress, from Hawaii. “This yearly festival is a time to celebrate the triumph of goodness and truth, and to reflect on the year. It is only appropriate that we commemorate this widely observed holiday and its place in our nation’s rich tapestry of religious and cultural diversity.”
Diwali, celebrated in October or November annually, originated as a celebration of the last harvest of the year before winter. Indians around the world celebrate with family gatherings, glittering clay lamps, festive fireworks, strings of electric lights, bonfires, flowers, sharing of sweets, and worship to the goddess Lakshmi.
The resolution (H.Res.47) calls on the Citizens’ Stamp Advisory Committee, an entity of the U.S. Postal Service, to issue a Diwali stamp, as it has done for other popular religious celebrations in the United States such as Christmas, Eid, Kwanzaa, and Hannukah.