California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed a bill to make Chinese Lunar New Year a state holiday in California. Civil servants, teachers, public transport drivers and any other public service workers will now be entitled to 8 hours to get rid of the problems of the past year and move forward with prosperity and luck!
The law allows California employees to accumulate 8 hours of vacation credit, which entitles them to eight hours of vacation, annual or compensatory leave to celebrate the Chinese New Year. The California governor wrote in the signed letter that Chinese New Year celebrates letting go of the problems of the past year and moving forward with prosperity and good luck, recognizing Chinese New Year as a legal holiday in California, and also recognizing the cultural diversity that Asian Americans bring to California. It is also an opportunity for all Californians to get involved in the Chinese New Year.
According to Newsom interviewed in Californian newspapers, he is “immensely proud of the richness of diversity and backgrounds represented in our state and understand the importance of wanting to see one’s own experience reflected in state holidays.”
The Lunar New Year, which usually takes place at the end of January or the beginning of February, is predominantly celebrated by Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese and other Asian communities. Based on the lunar calendar, the special event marks the arrival of spring.
Earlier this year, Rep. Grace Meng (D-N.Y.) introduced a new bill that would recognize Lunar New Year as a federal holiday in the U.S !
