New York City public schools to observe Muslim holidays

Change will affect some 1 million students in New York

(Getty Images)

Students in New York City soon will be getting two additional days off school as the city’s school system has decided to recognize two Muslim holidays.

New York City public schools revealed on Wednesday that students would be granted holidays for Eid al-Adha, known as the Festival of Sacrifice, and Eid al-Fitr, a celebration marking the end of Ramadan, CNN reported.

Students will get the Eid al-Adha holiday on 24 September starting this year and Eid al-Fitr in the summer of 2016. The latter will be a holiday from summer school.

It is not clear how many Muslim students attend New York City public schools, but there are some 1 million students in the city’s school system. An estimated 700,000 Muslims in total live in New York City, according to the Tanenbaum, an organisation that promotes tolerance.

“This is a common-sense change and one that recognizes our growing Muslim community and honors its contributions to our city,” New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said Wednesday.

Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha are the latest religious holidays on New York's public school calendar. Students long have been given Christian and Jewish holidays, such as Christmas and Yom Kippur.

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