ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — The Rochester City School District has reversed course on how it will mark the Lunar New Year holiday in two weeks. Lunar New Year falls on Wednesday, January 29, and it's a mandatory state holiday thanks to a law passed in 2023. Last year, Lunar New Year fell on a Saturday so it didn't impact the school calendar. As RochesterFirst.com previously reported, the RCSD calendar had students off, but staff was being required to report for 'development'. But Tuesday, Interim Superintendent Dr. Demario Strickland announced the district is giving staff the day off as well, writing in an email "this shift aligns with most Monroe County school calendars. It also gives us the opportunity to celebrate the rich cultural diversity within our community." A half-day scheduled for May 22, will now be a full day of school. Lunar New Year marks the first new moon of the lunar calendar and ends 15 days later on the first full moon. The holiday is celebrated by Asians across the globe and each year honors an animal based on the Chinese Zodiac. 2025 is the Year of the Snake. What will be closed on Martin Luther King Jr. Day (and Inauguration Day) 2025? This holiday is seen as a time of new beginnings, typically marked by spending time with family, eating traditional foods, and adorning the house with red decorations. Since the holiday is tied to the cycles of the moon, it falls on a different date each year. In 2026, it'll be February 17.