San Francisco schools to include Eid in spring break

The San Francisco Unified School District has changed this year's spring break to include the Eid holiday, following calls from groups that have long advocated for the measure.

The decision comes after the school district reversed a decision last month to make Eid an official school holiday. This was met with backlash from Muslims and others, who now see this measure as only a partial win.

In March, the Arab-American Anti-Discrimination Committee and the Arab Resource and Organising Center said they would start litigation if the school district didn't recognise the resolution, which passed in August, Middle East Eye reported earlier this month.

The resolution would add to the school calendars both Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha, marking the end of fasting after the end of the holy month of Ramadan and the festival of Abraham sacrificing his son to God.

The resolution came about as the result of a class project by a high school student whose teacher then encouraged it to be circulated as a petition to advocate for the recognition of the Eid holidays.

This would allow it to join other school districts, including New York City and school districts in Michigan, New Jersey, Maryland and Massachusetts, in recognising Muslim holidays.

An Institute for Social Policy and Understanding study based on 2013 demographics estimated that the San Francisco Bay area is home to around 250,000 Muslims, with 3 per cent (or about 7,500) living in the city.

The measure has found significant support across different faiths and other advocates who argue the Eid holidays are not just for religious Muslims but are also observed for cultural reasons, similar to Christmas.