In a nationwide first, schools across New York are closed on Wednesday in observance of the Lunar New Year. Why it matters: More local and state jurisdictions in recent years have officially recognized the holiday celebrated by many Asian cultures.

Students in New York City and the rest of the state will welcome the year of the snake for the first time outside the classroom. Public schools will close on Wednesday in observance of the Lunar New Year.

Public school students across the Rochester area and New York State will be off on Wednesday for the Lunar New Year for the first time. The Lunar New Year, which East Asian communities across the globe celebrate,