MENDOCINO Co., 2/12/21 — A new Lunar New Year has arrived, the Year of the Ox, and California’s Governor issues a proclamation today noting the occasion. Due to the pandemic, the celebrations typically held at Alex Thomas Plaza in Ukiah will not be occurring as an in-person event this year, but instead will take place online next Friday, February 19.
The virtual Lunar New Year celebration will take place on Friday, February 19 from 3 – 4 p.m., organized by the Instilling Virtuous Goodness School, which traditionally hosts the in-person celebrations. More details are available here.
Here’s the text of Newsom’s proclamation:
Today we commemorate Lunar New Year and join families in California, Asia and around the world in welcoming the Year of the Ox.
Lunar New Year, predominantly celebrated by millions of Asian and Pacific Islander (API) Californians of Chinese, Korean, Singaporean and Vietnamese descent, is a time of joy and renewal. On this special day, families celebrate and prepare for the arrival of a new year of good health and prosperity.
As we look forward to a joyous new year, we proudly reflect on the contributions of API Californians who literally built California – from America’s first transcontinental railroad to the farms and small businesses foundational to our state’s economy. We also recognize that discriminatory laws, xenophobic policies and mistreatment suffered by API Californiansare a blight on our state’s history. We must also continue to call out and stand against the anti-Asian rhetoric and violence that increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. As Californians, we must reject past and present prejudice and embrace inclusion.
Today, let us join our API friends and neighbors in celebration. We also encourage California schools to take time to educate our students about the traditions of Lunar New Year and the past and present contributions of the API community in our state.
As the door to the Year of the Ox opens, we wish good fortune, health and happiness to all those who celebrate.
NOW THEREFORE I, GAVIN NEWSOM, Governor of the State of California, do hereby proclaim February 12, 2021, as “Lunar New Year.”
