It's the first day of the Lunar New Year and, for the third year in a row, two lawmakers have asked Mayor Bloomberg to make Lunar New Year a school holiday. State Senator Daniel Squadron and Assemblywoman Grace Meng are behind the push, and Squadron says, "One out of every six New York City school students is Asian American, and today they have to choose between observing it with their families and community or going to school."
There have been efforts for the NYC Department of Education to recognize the Muslim holidays of Eid ul-Fitrand and Eid ul-Adh to the calendar, but the DOE says there are already many holidays and students who observe the holiday (15% of students are Asian) will get an "excused absence" noted on their record.
Bloomberg enjoyed the lion dance at a Chinese New Year Celebration on Mott Street earlier today and issued a statement for the holiday, "The Lunar New Year is a time for renewal, as we look forward to the year ahead and celebrate the proud heritage and culture of New Yorkers of Asian descent across the five boroughs. This New Year is especially exciting because it represents the Year of the Dragon - an auspicious symbol of optimism and promise. That’s exactly the type of future that - together - we’ve helped build for our City. As families come together to exchange red envelopes and commemorate the promise of a new beginning, I want to wish everyone celebrating a happy and prosperous New Year."
Chinatown's big Lunar New Year parade is this Sunday, from 11:30 a.m. till 4 p.m. and Chinese couples are expected to have a baby boom this year, to take advantage of having a Dragon baby. Gong Hey Fat Choy!
