Rochester area schools, and those around the state, are off on Jan. 29 to celebrate a holiday for the first time.

Parents across New York might wonder why their kids don’t have school on Wednesday, Jan. 29, well, the Lunar New Year is to thank for that and a declaration by Governor Kathy Hochul in 2024. To honor the rich heritage of Asian American and Pacific Islander communities (AAPI),

Students at government schools in New York state had a day off Wednesday. But rather than keeping kids at home for a statewide in-service training day or snow day, the day off came because of Lunar New Year,

The Chinese New Year on Wednesday was an historic day for New York state. It was the first time public school students had the day off to celebrate the holiday.

It's the first time New York students will have the day off for the Lunar New Year since a new state law was signed in 2023. In 2024, the holiday fell on a Saturday.

This is the first year the holiday falls on a school day since Gov. Kathy Hochul signed legislation in 2023 mandating school closures, making New York the first state in the nation to do so.

On Saturday, the Nassau County Office of Asian American Affairs will host a Lunar New Year’s celebration at the Tilles Center for the Performing Arts at LIU Post in Brookville. Among other cultural exhibits, visitors can view Chinese calligraphy and sugar painting.

Schools did not close for Lunar New Year in the first year of the new law because the holiday fell on Saturday, Feb. 10, 2024. The date varies from year to year as the Lunar New Year is based on moon cycles; the holiday typically occurs between the end of January and the end of February.

Wednesday, January 29th marked the celebration of the Lunar New Year, a significant holiday for many Asian communities, and a day off for school kids across the state.

Students at Niagara Fall High School are learning about the holiday through a unique lesson that connects culture with art.

After Hochul signed the state-level bill, the Lunar New Year was added as one of the public school holidays. However, the holiday fell on a Saturday in 2024. When it occurs on a weekend day, it won't be observed with a day off for New York schools.

It turns out that local students will also get to celebrate during the day, as NYC schools will be closed on Wednesday, January 29, in observance of Chinese New Year. Schools will officially reopen the next day, Thursday, January 30.