{"id":2396731,"date":"2025-01-29T19:07:59","date_gmt":"2025-01-30T00:07:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/new-york-state-goes-to-unprecedented-lengths-to-celebrate-chinese-holiday-all-schools-ordered-to-shut-down\/"},"modified":"2025-01-29T19:10:09","modified_gmt":"2025-01-30T00:10:09","slug":"new-york-state-goes-to-unprecedented-lengths-to-celebrate-chinese-holiday-all-schools-ordered-to-shut-down","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/new-york-state-goes-to-unprecedented-lengths-to-celebrate-chinese-holiday-all-schools-ordered-to-shut-down\/","title":{"rendered":"New York State Goes to Unprecedented Lengths to Celebrate Chinese Holiday &#8211; All Schools Ordered to Shut Down"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">36<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fnew-york-state-goes-to-unprecedented-lengths-to-celebrate-chinese-holiday-all-schools-ordered-to-shut-down%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2396731&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>students in New York \u200bstate&#8217;s government schools had \u2064a day \u2064off on Wednesday to celebrate the Lunar New Year, \u2064a holiday observed in several Asian countries,\u200b including\u2063 China.\u2063 This day\u2062 off was\u200b established following a bill signed by \u2062Governor Kathy\u200b Hochul in September\u2063 2023, which designated Lunar\u2062 New Year as an official \u2064school holiday. Hochul emphasized that this move recognizes \u2063New York&#8217;s AAPI (Asian American\u200c Pacific Islander) community and aims \u2064to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/all-of-your-senses-were-awakened-first-time-concertgoer-moved-by-shen-yun-symphony-orchestra\/\" title=\"First-time concertgoer deeply moved by Shen Yun Symphony Orchestra: All senses awakened!\">foster cultural understanding<\/a> among\u200b students. <\/p>\n<p>While the \u2063holiday provides \u2063an \u2064opportunity for \u2062students\u2064 to celebrate thier heritage, it also presents challenges \u200bfor parents who must find childcare unexpectedly. lawmakers, including House Speaker Carl Heastie, support the\u2063 holiday, highlighting the state\u2019s diversity and the importance of acknowledging various <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/illinois-might-mandate-teachers-to-embrace-progressive-viewpoints\/\" title=\"Illinois Might Mandate Teachers To \u2018Embrace\u2019 Progressive Viewpoints\">cultural backgrounds<\/a>. Though, some critics question\u2064 the appropriateness\u2063 of recognizing \u2064a holiday predominantly celebrated\u2063 by \u200dspecific communities in a state with diverse demographics,\u200d raising concerns about the\u2064 implications for the school calendar and the significance of American holidays.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<section> \t\t\t\t<script>console.log(\"ad slot (AC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC2)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC3)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC4)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (REP_0)\")<\/script><\/p>\n<p>Students at government schools in New York state had a day off Wednesday.<\/p>\n<p>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, a holiday celebrated in Asian countries like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/trump-china-panama-canal-americas-fight-control\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">China<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>That is because New York Democratic Gov. Kathy <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/former-top-aide-ny-gov-kathy-hochul-charged-working-chinese-government-agent\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Hochul<\/a> signed a bill back in September 2023 that declared Asian Lunar New Year a public school holiday across New York State, according to a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.governor.ny.gov\/news\/governor-hochul-signs-legislation-declare-lunar-new-year-school-holiday\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">release<\/a> from her office at the time.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;By designating Lunar New Year as an official school holiday, we are taking an important step in recognizing the importance of New York&rsquo;s AAPI community and the rich diversity that makes New York so great,&rdquo; Hochul said in a statement.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;It is not just a day off from school &mdash; it is an opportunity for our children to learn about and celebrate their own or different cultures and traditions,&rdquo; she added.<\/p>\n<p> <script type=\"text\/javascript\"> \t\t\tif ( getCookie( \"ff_subbed\" ) ) { \t\t\t\tdocument.getElementById(\"stnvideo\").remove() \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script> <\/p>\n<p>That day off will be a drastically different day every single year, presenting obstacles for parents trying to take time off from work to unexpectedly care for their kids on a random Wednesday, according to a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.democratandchronicle.com\/story\/lifestyle\/2025\/01\/29\/why-is-there-no-school-today-in-ny-what-to-know-about-lunar-new-year\/78002604007\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">report<\/a> from the Democrat and Chronicle, a daily newspaper in Rochester.<\/p>\n<p>Lunar New Year usually falls on the second new moon after the winter solstice.<\/p>\n<p>This year, it is Jan. 29. Last year, it was Feb. 10.<\/p>\n<p>New York Democratic House Speaker Carl Heastie also said in the release from Hochul&rsquo;s office that the day off is meant to recognize the many cultures in the Empire State&rsquo;s population.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;New York State is beautifully diverse, with people from different ethnic, religious and <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\">cultural backgrounds living<\/a>, working and raising families together,&rdquo; he said.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The Lunar New Year holiday will give thousands of Asian students in our state the ability to gather together and celebrate with family and friends without having to [sacrifice] their education.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Heastie also said that the change in the school calendar will &ldquo;shine a light on the culture and traditions of our Asian friends and neighbors, and in a time where we have seen hate and violence against Asian communities, this will open people&rsquo;s eyes, encouraging tolerance and acceptance.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>While there may indeed be a sizable Asian community in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/third-party-poll-shows-surprising-breakaway-frontrunner-new-york-city-mayor\/?ff_source=&amp;ff_medium=westernjournalism&amp;ff_campaign=feed&amp;ff_content=2023-10-23\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">New York City<\/a>, keep in mind that much of the state beyond the Big Apple is composed of rural small towns with very few Asian immigrants.<\/p>\n<p>Surely having a day off from school to recognize a holiday from halfway around the world, to which those communities have virtually no connection, must be bizarre for them.<\/p>\n<p>The obvious question that arises from this new requirement is where such logic ends.<\/p>\n<p>The Democrats like to emphasize cultural diversity over assimilation into American culture while they pander to the various ethnic coalitions that compose their voting base.<\/p>\n<p>But seeing as there are thousands of cultures around the world and hundreds represented in a state like New York, we have to wonder whether every other ethnic community is entitled to its own public holidays as well.<\/p>\n<p>If government schools are closed on every single holiday or festival of note from around the world, then there may hardly be a day on which students are actually able to attend school.<\/p>\n<p>This move also points to the cultural relativism that claims all cultures are the same as others. This effectively cheapens American and Western holidays.<\/p>\n<p>After all, if <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/gop-demands-answers-nba-team-blasted-chinese-communist-propaganda-game\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Lunar New Year<\/a> is placed on the same footing in the public square as historically recognized Christian holidays like Christmas and American holidays like Thanksgiving, that is an implicit statement about the relative value of those holidays in the life of our nation.<\/p>\n<p>In other words, Lunar New Year may very well be fine for China and other Asian nations, but the holiday need not be, and should not be, shoehorned into America.<\/p>\n<div style=\"position: relative;\">\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-submit-correction inner-content\">\n<div class=\"correction-form\">\n<form style=\"display: none;\">\n<div class=\"sc-name-field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* Name<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"name\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"sc--field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* <\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<label>* Message<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t<textarea name=\"message\" required><\/textarea> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"required-message\" style=\"display: none; padding-bottom: 15px;\">* All fields are required.<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"submit\" value=\"Submit\" onclick=\"event.preventDefault(); firefly_sc();\"> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"firefly-sc-confirm\" style=\"display: none;\">Success!<\/div>\n<\/p><\/form>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> \t\t<script> \t\t\tfunction firefly_sc() { \t\t\t\tif( typeof window.captchaPublicKey==typeof undefined ){ \t\t\t\t\tconsole.error('window.captchaPublicKey is not defined'); \t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\tgrecaptcha.execute( window.captchaPublicKey, { action: 'submit_correction' } ).then( function( token ) { \t\t\t\t\tvar opts={ \t\t\t\t\t\taction:    'firefly_sc_submit', \t\t\t\t\t\tname:      document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"name\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\t:     document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tmessage:   document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"message\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tpost_id:   firefly_post_id, \t\t\t\t\t\tcap_token: token \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tvar inputs=[ 'name', '', 'message' ];  \t\t\t\t\tfor( var i=0; i <inputs.length; i++ ) if( ! ( opts[inputs[i]]=document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"' + inputs[i] + '\"]' ).value ) ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .required-message' ).style.display='block'; \t\t\t\t\t\treturn; \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction input[type=\"submit\"]' ).style.display='none'; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).src=firefly_loading_gif_url; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display='inline-block';  \t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( 'ma subbing' );  \t\t\t\t\tif( firefly_post_id ) opts['post_id']=firefly_post_id;  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Send the data using post with element id name and name2*\/ \t\t\t\t\tvar posting=jQuery.post( firefly_ajax_url, opts );  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Alerts the results *\/ \t\t\t\t\tposting.done( function( response ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tif( response.success ) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( response.data ); \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display='none'; \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-confirm' ).style.display='block';  \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdataLayer.push( { 'event': 'submit-correction' } ); \t\t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script> \t     \t\t\t\t\t\t     \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p style=\"border: 1px solid #f5f5f5; padding: 16px;\">Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/advertise-us\/?wj_source=article\">Advertise Today<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><script>console.log(\"ad slot (BA1)\")<\/script> \t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<style> \t\t\t \t\t\t.insticator-unit.type-commenting{margin: 0 10px 25px 10px}@media screen and (max-width:1060px){#div-insticator-ad-cmt-1, #div-insticator-ad-cmt-2, #div-insticator-ad-cmt-3, #div-insticator-ad-cmt-4{margin: 0 auto 25px auto !important;}}#div-insticator-ad-cmt-1, #div-insticator-ad-cmt-2, #div-insticator-ad-cmt-3, #div-insticator-ad-cmt-4{height: 280px !important; width: 336px !important} \t\t<\/style>\n<div class=\"insticator-unit type-commenting\">\n<div class=\"insticator-ads\"> \t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t<script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\"> \t\t\t\t\tif ( ! getCookie( \"ff_subbed\" ) ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tInsticator.ad.loadAd(\"div-insticator-ad-cmt-1\"); \t\t\t\t\t\tInsticator.ad.loadAd(\"div-insticator-ad-cmt-2\"); \t\t\t\t\t} else { \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.getElementById(\"div-insticator-ad-cmt-1\").remove() \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.getElementById(\"div-insticator-ad-cmt-2\").remove() \t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t<\/script> \t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"insticator-ads additional\"> \t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t<script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\"> \t\t\t\t\tif ( ! getCookie( \"ff_subbed\" ) ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tInsticator.ad.loadAd(\"div-insticator-ad-cmt-3\"); \t\t\t\t\t\tInsticator.ad.loadAd(\"div-insticator-ad-cmt-4\"); \t\t\t\t\t} else { \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.getElementById(\"div-insticator-ad-cmt-3\").remove() \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.getElementById(\"div-insticator-ad-cmt-4\").remove() \t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t<\/script> \t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Students in New York state&#8217;s public schools had a day off on Wednesday, not due to a statewide training or snow day, but in observance of Lunar New Year, a holiday recognized in several Asian countries including China. This was made possible by a bill signed by Governor Kathy Hochul in September 2023, which designated Lunar New Year as an official school holiday throughout the state. Hochul stated that this recognition acknowledges the significance of New York&#8217;s AAPI community and its diverse culture. She emphasized that it provides an opportunity for children to learn about and celebrate various cultures and traditions.<\/p>\n<p>However, this new holiday may pose challenges for parents who need to unexpectedly take time off work to care for their children on what could be an arbitrary Wednesday each year. The date of Lunar New Year varies; this year it falls on January 29, while last year it was February 10. House Speaker Carl Heastie noted that the holiday allows many Asian students to celebrate with family without compromising their education and aims to promote understanding and acceptance amid rising hate against Asian communities.<\/p>\n<p>While there is a significant Asian population in NYC, much of upstate consists of rural areas with few Asian residents, making the observance feel disconnected for those communities. This raises questions about how far such cultural recognition should extend\u2014if every ethnic group deserves its own public holidays, schools might struggle to remain open throughout the year. Additionally, equating Lunar New Year with established American holidays like Christmas or Thanksgiving could diminish the significance of those traditional celebrations within American culture<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2396732,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Lunar-New-Year.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[49456,42281,35136,32120,49457],"class_list":["post-2396731","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-chinese-holiday","tag-cultural-celebration","tag-education-policy","tag-new-york","tag-school-shutdown"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Lunar-New-Year.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2396731","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2396731"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2396731\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2396735,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2396731\/revisions\/2396735"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2396732"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2396731"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2396731"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2396731"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}