NY makes Asian Lunar New Year a public school holiday. When is it in 2024?

David Robinson, New York State Team
·2 min read
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All public schools in New York will be closed for Asian Lunar New Year going forward as part of a new state law that declared it a public school holiday.

The one-day holiday — which varies each year and typically comes in late January or early February — will be added to all public school calendars in New York. The next upcoming Lunar New Year holiday is on Feb. 10, 2024. Gov. Kathy Hochul recently signed the legislation into law.

People celebrate the Lunar New Year in Chinatown in New York City in 2019. Thousands of members of the Chinese American community, tourists and other New Yorkers took to the streets to celebrate the first day of the Lunar New Year, China's biggest holiday of the year. That year was the "Year of the Pig."
People celebrate the Lunar New Year in Chinatown in New York City in 2019. Thousands of members of the Chinese American community, tourists and other New Yorkers took to the streets to celebrate the first day of the Lunar New Year, China's biggest holiday of the year. That year was the "Year of the Pig."

What and when is Lunar New Year?

The Lunar New Year is a major holiday celebrated in many parts of Asia and in Asian communities around the world, federal records show. It marks the beginning of the year using the traditional Chinese lunisolar calendar.

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Typically, Lunar New Year is observed in late January or early February of the Gregorian calendar. The Year of the Tiger began on February 1, 2022, and the Year of the Rabbit began on January 22, 2023. The upcoming holiday on Feb. 10 marks the start of the Year of the Dragon, state records show.

The Lunar New Year is not a public holiday in the United States. However, some states, such as California and Washington, have previously passed legislation recognizing the cultural significance of Lunar New Year, federal records show.

What is the history of Lunar New Year?

A parade participant wears a traditional Chinese costume at the annual Chinese Lunar New Year Parade in Chinatown in New York in 2015.
A parade participant wears a traditional Chinese costume at the annual Chinese Lunar New Year Parade in Chinatown in New York in 2015.

The Chinese calendar uses a 60-year cycle known as the sexagenary cycle. The current cycle began in 1984 and ends in 2043. Each cycle consists of one each of the 10 heavenly stems and 12 earthly branches, which correspond to 12 zodiac animals.

These zodiac animals are the rat, ox, tiger, hare (or rabbit), dragon, snake, horse, sheep (or goat), monkey, rooster (or chicken), dog, and pig (or boar), federal records show, citing the "Encyclopedia of New Year’s Holidays Worldwide."

The heavenly stems are also associated with one of the five traditional Chinese elements: Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water.

A showcase of local and regional traditional artists across a wide variety of art forms, including music, dance, magic and visual arts come together for ArtsWestchester’s “A Folk Arts Event in Celebration of the Chinese New Year” in 2015.
A showcase of local and regional traditional artists across a wide variety of art forms, including music, dance, magic and visual arts come together for ArtsWestchester’s “A Folk Arts Event in Celebration of the Chinese New Year” in 2015.

How many Asian Americans live in New York?

The recent 2020 U.S. Census data shed light on the evolving Asian American population in New York, according to the Asian American Federation.

Among the findings:

  • The Asian American population statewide increased nearly 38%, growing from 1,579,494 in 2010 to 2,173,719 in 2020.

  • Asian Americans made up 10.8% of the state's total population in 2020, up from 8.2% in 2010.

  • The state’s population of Asian children increased 32.4% in the last decade compared to a 4.9% decrease in the population of all children.

  • New York City was home to the largest Asian community in the state, with 1,525,851 residents who made up 17.3% of the city’s population.

This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: NY makes Asian Lunar New Year a school holiday. When is it in 2024?