Gov. Jay Inslee signed legislation Wednesday officially making Lunar New Year a recognized legislative holiday in the state of Washington. Although Washington’s newest state-recognized holiday is not a paid day off for those who celebrate, Rep. My-Linh Thai said this moment still sends a message of belonging to Asian Americans.
Lunar New Year celebrations include Tết in Vietnam, Seollal in Korea, and Spring Festival in China. Because the holiday is based on the lunar calendar, it doesn’t fall on a set day and floats between January and February. Lunar New Year is generally a 15-day celebration.
Connie So, a professor of American Ethnic Studies at the University of Washington, praised the law’s passage for recognizing the large communities that celebrate the holiday and acknowledging a cultural tradition without European roots.
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