Lunar New Year
- Yubo Zhang
- Nov 16
- 3 min read
Updated: Nov 16
My comments in front of Dr. McDade and the PWPS school board on 11/5, 2025.
Good Evening Dr. McDade and School Board Members,
A couple weeks ago, I came to talk about how we might do everything with an equitable mindset. This evening, I am here again with a specific ask for your consideration.
First of all, I would like to express my sincere and deep appreciation for having a school calendar recognizing various religious and cultural holidays and celebrations. However, the question remains as to what else is missing and who else are not represented.
Every year around this time, when I go to an Asian grocery store, I will pick up a copy of this type of calendar. What is special about this calendar is below each solar date are the lunar dates. There are also notes about 24 seasonal division dates which of some were used as reminders of the best timing for certain farming practices. What is even more interesting is that for almost all of the 24 seasonal division dates, there are special types of designed food to eat on those days. Of course, Asian culture is all about food, to a certain extent, so is every culture.
My point is that with 12% students and families of Asian descent recognizing Lunar New Year on our school calendar is beyond just recognizing a holiday. It is recognizing a different way of thinking, a different way of living, a different perspective. When different cultures try to solve the same problem, tracking time with a calendar in this case, there are different solutions. There isn’t just one right way or one way that is more superior than the other.
This closely relates to the second point that I am going to make today. Over 5 million people worldwide are adherents of Buddhism but the fact that in this country, an immigrant country, for certain groups, an Eurocentric definition of religion even excludes Buddhism as a religion, that in and of itself invites a question mark. We do not have any Buddhism holidays on our calendar.
To read more about lunar new year, variations across Asian cultures and 24 seasons: https://shaolin-kungfu.com/the-chinese-calendar-and-the-24-seasons/
Some past fun and meaningful memories for this celebration. When there isn't an observed date on the calendar, it makes the celebration very hard, especially when it does not land on a weekend, as there is quite some preparation work for such an important holiday based on our cultural heritage. I myself feel guilty, especially in recent years, as life gets busy.
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