It’s official — over the weekend, New York State Gov. Hochul signed legislation into law that declares Lunar New Year a public school holiday. Going forward, all public schools will be closed for one day to observe Lunar New Year.

“By designating Lunar New Year as an official school holiday, we are taking an important step in recognizing the importance of New York’s AAPI community and the rich diversity that makes New York so great,” said Hochul. “It is not just a day off from school – it is an opportunity for our children to learn about and celebrate their own or different cultures and traditions.”

U.S. Rep. Grace Meng, First Vice Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, joined Gov. Hochul as she signed the legislation. “It was an honor to join Governor Hochul as she signed this historic bill and I applaud her for making it the law of the land in our state,” said Meng. “When I was in the State Assembly in 2009, I led the bill to establish a New York City school holiday for Lunar New Year, and I remember how people laughed at it. There were so many naysayers who told me that it would never happen. Now, look at how far we have come. I am proud of the work I have done to help get us to this point and I thank all who played a role as well. And in Congress, I am continuing the fight by pushing legislation I authored that would make Lunar New Year a federal holiday.”