The campaign to recognize the Lunar New Year as a holiday is in full swing in New York, with proponents calling out: "Don't go to school on the Lunar New Year's day." Many Korean parents stand firmly behind this move, intended to make the Korean community’s most important and greatest holiday an official holiday in New York City public schools. Most Korean parents celebrate the Korean – Asian – Lunar New Year, instead of the western one.

According to Korean customs, all the members of a family gather together for the festival to prepare a giant feast and perform certain rites. These include ceremonial bowing to the family's elders, the wearing of the traditional hanbok [traditional Korean dress], worship of bloodline ancestors, and exchange blessings and prayers for prosperity and health in the coming year, and typically to the delight of the youngest, offer gifts of money.

Because of this important custom, Korean-American teachers, who are members of the KATANY organization, directed by Eun-Joo Kim, are spontaneously joining Korean parents to support the campaign that would to allow Korean and other Asian children to remain out of school for the festival, and celebrate the holiday with their families.

Mrs. Sang-hee Kim, who heads the PTA at PS 203, said, "Other ethnic groups are granted days off for their religious holidays. For instance, Jewish teachers and students have several free days each year to celebrate and observe Jewish festivals. But Korean students and other Asian students have never been granted any school holiday on their festival days. It doesn't really make sense that Asian students cannot celebrate the biggest festival of the year for Asian peoples with a single day off from school."

Mr.Young-hun Chong and Mr. Byong-gi Sho, co-chairmen of the Benjamin N. Cardozo High School's recently formed Korean parents association, said, "We have always had the Lunar New Year as a school holiday on our agenda, but did not have a platform from which to advocate. Now that we have the parents' association, we are glad to start a campaign. Unfortunately, there is not enough time to bring about significant change for this year's celebration. However, we are diligently spreading the word to parents and students through phone calls and other means. We hope that next year's Lunar festival will finally be a school holiday."

While many Korean parents support the drive to make the Lunar New Year a school holiday, no one wants to interfere with schoolwork, schedules, and exams. For instance, children in the fourth, fifth, and sixth grade are busy studying for exams at the time of the festival. A day off at this crucial time might not be beneficial. However, children in the lower grades – preschool to four – have an easier schedule, and the holiday would have no impact on them. Parents believe that a concerted effort can bring about change, perhaps even this year.

The N.Y. Korean Parents' Association and the N.Y. Korean Teachers' Association are leading the campaign. A spokesperson said, "Basically, it's not a serious problem for a Korean student to be absent for one day of school to celebrate the Lunar New Year. America prides itself as a multicultural nation. For the first time in history, we have an African-American President. Change is possible and Korean parents can realize such change for themselves and their children. The Lunar New Year is a traditional family celebration. The request to make this day a school holiday is not unreasonable; at the very least there should be "equal time for Asians." On a larger scale, it is a demonstration of the values that we claim, share, and celebrate as Americans, honoring ethnic and religious holidays and celebrations."

In fact, Korean and other Asian students are already granted a day off from school to celebrate this important holiday. Under the N.Y.C. public school system's regulations, a student may notify a school in writing of an intended absence for a religious holiday. The absence will be marked as excused, and the student will not suffer any disadvantages. Nevertheless, the organizations joined in the campaign want to see the Lunar New Year made an official school holiday.