Asian communities across the globe observing Lunar New Year will be ringing in the Year of the Wood Snake in celebration of a festive period that is meant to unite families in the spirit of hope and optimism for the months ahead.

The Lunar New Year, also known as the Chinese New Year or Spring Festival, is a traditional Asian celebration that has been observed in for thousands of years. Every winter, Asian communities around the world ring in the Lunar New Year with carnivals, food, family gatherings, parades and more.

You may have thought that New Year’s was only celebrated on January 1, but you couldn’t be more wrong. In other cultures, New Year’s actually doesn’t take place until much later. It’s referred to as Lunar New Year and is one of the most important Asian holidays of each year.

The Year of the Dragon is coming to a close. Tomorrow, a new moon will herald in the Year of the Snake and the start of Spring Festival celebrations.

This is the Year of the Snake, one of the 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac, whose qualities include wisdom, charm, elegance, and transformation. People born in the Year of the Snake are believed to be intuitive, strategic and intelligent.

As the Filipino-Chinese community and the whole nation celebrate Chinese New Year today, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. expressed hope that this occasion may inspire

The one-day holiday — which typically comes in late January or early February — was added to all New York public school calendars in 2024.

This week’s new moon, on Wednesday, Jan. 29, will signal the beginning of the Chinese Lunar New Year, which this year is called the "Year of the Snake."

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.

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.

All public schools in the state will be closed Wednesday in recognition of Asian Lunar New Year. Gov. Kathleen C. Hochul signed legislation in September 2023 declaring the day a public school holiday in support of the state's Asian American and Pacific Islander community.

UTICA, N.Y. (WKTV) -- All public schools in New York are closed in observance of the Lunar New Year. Recent legislation modifies the education law to officially recognize the Asian Lunar New Year as a public school holiday across the State.