New York Students Getting Extra Day Off This Month

If you look at your kids' school calendar you might have noticed an extra day off this month.

Most schools in New York already have Monday January 20th off to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr Day, but this month kids will also be off on Janurary 29th.

The 29th is when the Lunar New Year happens in 2025, and as of last year, it is an official state school holiday which means schools are off.

Unlike New Year's Day, which always happens on January 1st, the Lunar New Year will change dates every year based on the cycle of the moon.

Last year's Lunar New Year was on February 10th and the Lunar New Year in 2026 will be on Tuesday, February 17th.

WHAT IS THE LUNAR NEW YEAR?

The Lunar New Year is the start of a new year based on the phases of the moon. It is the first new moon of the Lunar calendar.

WHO CELEBRATES THE LUNAR NEW YEAR?

Mostly Asian cultures celebrate the Lunar New Year, and here in New York State there is a growing Asian population and that is why lawmakers passed the law that the Lunar New Year would be a state holiday and schools would be closed.

IS ANYTHING ELSE CLOSED ON THE LUNAR NEW YEAR?

In New York State, Lunar New Year is just an official school holiday which means government offices will still be open. Some local businesses might close if they celebrate but only schools have a mandatory day off.